Costco Connection - July 2009

Costco offers two Sonicare models. The Essence e5550 ($99.99 in warehouses and slightly more on Costco.com due to shipping) includes two ergonomic handles, four color-coded standard brush heads and a charger. (I found this model as high as $158.95 online.)

Slimmer, smaller and more compact, the newer Flexcare Special Edition RS950 also includes the broadest Sonicare brush head. I’m pleased with the inclusion of a compact multi-voltage travel charger and an ultraviolet (UV) sanitizer to clean away microorganisms, including up to 99 percent of E.Coli and Streptococcus mutans, harbored on the brush head.

Available in all regions and online, Flexcare is priced at $159.99. Shipping is additional on Costco.com.

Procter & Gamble Oral-B uses 40,000 in-and-out pulsations combined with 8,800 back and forth oscillations per minute to gently loosen and sweep plaque away. This brush provides a deep clean, removes more than two times more plaque than a manual toothbrush, reverses gingivitis, whitens teeth naturally and is safe and gentle on veneers, implants, and other restorative materials.

Costco warehouses carry the Oral-B Professional Care 8950 for $89.99. The pack includes two handles with three brushing modes: clean, sensitive and polish. A change indicator notes when it’s time to change the brush head. Costco.com offers this same unit at $99.99 including shipping as well as Oral-B’s Triumph Professional Care 9950 at $144.99. With a wireless remote display, the 9950 provides while-you-brush feedback.

Which one is right for you? As both have been proven effective, it really comes down to personal preference. Sonicare’s brush head is shaped like a manual toothbrush with a side to side motion. Oral-B’s is a smaller, circular brush head that vibrates with both a side-to-side motion and an in-and-out motion.

Both have a 30-second timer to indicate how long you should spend on each quadrant of your mouth. Sonicare Essence automatically shuts off after two minutes whereas the Flexcare can be programmed for longer brushing. The Oral-B provides a two-minute signal and then continues running until you turn it off.

The sound of the Oral-B toothbrush is a buzz, the Sonicare a hum. Both have battery-life indicators. Sonicare will stop when it loses its charge. The Oral-B also gradually runs slower as the battery runs low.

Warehouses also carry a variety of man-

Toothpaste

Today”s toothpastes focus on all-in-one cleaning, whitening and cavity-fighting.

Gregreports,“Tenyearsinthemaking,

Crest^® Pro-Health offers protection against cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, tartar build-up and bad breath. It also whitens.” It is available in four 7.8-ounce tubes at a Costco savings of 23 percent over other retailers.

Costco also offers Colgate^® Total Advanced Whitening Toothpaste in a four 8-ounce pack. With 30 percent better whitening than regular Colgate Total, it also protects against cavities, gingivitis and plaque.

Dick points out, “No matter if you are Crest or Colgate fan, you’ll still get 1. 3 tubes free at Costco as compared to retail.”

Warehouses also carry Sensodyne^® Extra Whitening Toothpaste. It whitens teeth as well while guarding against painful teeth sensitivity and cavities.

ual toothbrush packs and packs of replace-

ment brush heads for Sonicare and Oral -B brushes. Tip: A regularly replaced brush head

removes plaque better than one used for lon-

ger than three months.

Floss

Flossing finishes the job brushing may not do. The American Dental Hygienists Association reports that up to 45 percent of consumers don’t floss every day.

Costco carries Glide Deep Clean Floss. It resists shredding, gently stimulates gums and slides easily between tight teeth to remove 90 percent more plaque than original Glide.

B righter Pearly Whites

Do-it-yourself teeth whitening at about ¹/10th the price of in-office professional services with similar results is something to smile about.

Warehouses offer Crest’s Advanced
Seal Whitestrips teeth whitening kit
with 38 strips as compared to other
retailer’s 28-pack. With savings of at
least 30 percent, I tried this Advanced
version out. It has a much better fit and
seal than the original Crest Whitestrips
and my teeth were definitely brighter.
Costco.com presents the light acti-
vated, European phenomenon i White
Whitening System ($49.99 includes
shipping).
Online Buyer Derek Berndt conducted
an i White test with his dentist. i White
made Derek’s teeth three shades whiter in
just five days. (My own teeth were visi-
bly whiter after just one application.)
i White refill strips are also available
on Costco.com.—PV

IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPH Y STUD^IO

Dental Water Jets

A clinical study at the University of Nebraska found that adding a dental water jet to tooth brushing was up to 93 percent more effective in improving gum health than traditional brushing and flossing.

Waterpik^® dental water jet reduces signs of gum disease—even in people with braces, implants, crowns, bridges and diabetes—and effectively removes 99.9 percent of harmful plaque from teeth. Requiring only a few minutes a day to use, it delivers a unique combination of water pressure and gentle pulsation to clean deep between teeth and also massage and stimulate gums allowing blood and oxygen to re-enter the tissue.

Costco warehouse locations bundle two Waterpik dental water jets in one box, the Ultra

countertop model and a cordless rechargeable unit, for just $68.99. Costco.com packages the Ultra countertop with the Sensonic^®Professional Toothbrush at $89.99 delivered.

Mouthwash

Add an extra layer of protection to your entire mouth by swishing with an anti-cavity fluoride mouthwash.

Costco warehouses offer multi-benefit Listerine Total Care. It is the first Listerine mouthwash specifically designed to work six ways—cavity prevention, enamel restoration, teeth strengthening, breath freshening, as well as destroying bad breath and plaque fighting.