What's in a Toothbrush? (Colgate® Slim Soft™ toothbrush - Review)

The Colgate SlimSoft VoxBox from Influenster

First of all, anyone who knows me or has ever known me knows that I have a "tooth thing".  I carried a toothbrush and mini tube of toothpaste in my purse throughout high school because I needed to make sure that there wasn't ever anything caught in my braces - and I'd SEEN the pictures of what poor oral hygiene could do to a person's teeth!! I'd turned down a number of dates because the poor guy didn't have good teeth.  I was worse than a rancher buying a horse.

Anyway, as you can imagine, when I got my Colgate SlimSoft VoxBox (which I received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes),  I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning.  Don't judge. 

Queue Celestial Choir

Now, I've always been a fan of Oral-B toothbrushes.  For me, those are the standard that all other toothbrushes must attempt to reach.  I had my doubts about this new one from Colgate, but I will be the first to admit, I pre-judged.  (See? That's what I warned you about earlier.) 

To begin with, this is what the claims are: 

• A 6x better reach between teeth and gums.  (Seriously?)
• 1.5x deeper access between teeth.  (OK, we'll see.) 
• 35% more bristles (Yes, that's apparent from looking at it.) for a unique mouth feel.  (Are you thinking that's a good thing?)
• An ergonomic and flexible handle

I put it to the test as soon as I'd gotten the nearly impossible to open packaging off the toothbrush. 

I really liked the look of the toothbrush and I loved the fact that they sent me one with SOFT bristles as opposed to MEDIUM or FIRM.  I've always been told my my dentists that soft ones are best.  There's one check in the "PLUS" column already.

Now, have a gander at those bristles.  Remember when I said they claim there are 35% more bristles than the leading toothbrush? I'd say this one's definitely accurate.

35% MORE bristles!! Unique mouth feel ... hmm... 

As I said earlier, I put it to the test as soon as I opened it and I was immediately blown away by how good it felt.  My Oral-B toothbrush would sometimes irritate my gums (perhaps because of my over vigorous brushing, who knows?) but in spite of not changing the pressure or length of time brushing, my gums were happy.  When I'd finished, my entire mouth felt as if I had flossed between each and every tooth. My entire mouth doesn't feel like I've flossed between each and every tooth when I DO floss between each and every tooth!! Could ~this~ be the unique mouth feel they spoke of?  Well, whatever it was, I LOVED it! That's when I knew I was hooked.  

I pulled my Oral-B out of the medicine cabinet and looked at it speculatively before placing it on the edge of the sink,  "You've been assigned to the other enamel now." I use it when I clean the hard water build up around the faucets in the bathroom. *shrug*

I'm a Colgate SlimSoft Brush convert.  The events in this blog are unique to me and your mileage my vary, but I'm guessing you'll be glad you tried this new toothbrush. Once again, I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes and was not paid or compensated for this glowing review.

Heartsickness and Letting Go

I haven't sat down to write in a really long time. In the face of a bunch of changes that are taking place, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and a little sad. Sad? Why sad? Well, I miss my children. They are well, and happy as far as I can tell from my cyber-stalking of them. Don't look shocked. It's the only way I get ANY information about them at all. If that's all I can get, I'll take it. But, I was thinking about it today, and it seems to be a pattern in my life. For as long as I can remember, as far back as I can stretch my mind, there has ALWAYS been someone missing from my life. When I was growing up in South Carolina, it was my step-father (the only father figure I have more than a shadowy memory of) who was on the go. I'd cry heartbrokenly whenever he went on another trip. Back then, I also missed my grandparents. Then I went to live with my grandparents. And the person missing was my mother. I can't remember missing her the way that I missed Daddy, but I am sure I must have. Then I grew up and moved away. And I missed everyone. Here's something I came across that I wrote back in 2003 when I had an online journal:

June 9, 2003 Ramblings of Homesickness This month marks the 12th year that I have been living in Kuwait. On some levels it doesn't really seem that I have been here that long. Some places and things haven't changed much in all that time. Other things have changed quite drastically. I remember when I first got here and I was pregnant with Suzi. I had had such cravings for pizza and there wasn't a Pizza Hut in sight! There was a place called Pizza Italia (a horrid chain of pizza pits with the greasiest pizza I have ever come across) but I'll tell you, beggars can't be choosy, and I ate that stuff like there was no tomorrow!! Today, when I go to town, I am tempted by old favorites like Subway, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Sbarro's, McDonald's, Burger King, A & W, Dairy Queen, Long John Silver's, TGI Friday's, Appleby's, and Fudruckers! I am amazed by the sheer number of these places. I can't help feeling homesick, though, when I go to these places because each of them hold memories of times that I had with my friends and family back home. Twelve years is a long time to be away from home. Of course, I've been back to visit a few times, but not nearly often enough. My two youngest children have never even seen their great-grandparents, and I wonder (on my face-reality days) if they ever will. I feel sorry for them that they are missing out on being surrounded by the special brand of love and kindness and caring that my grandparents gave me. I also hate that my grandparents have great-grandchildren that they can't throw their arms around and smother with hugs and kisses. I know that my life is something I chose; I didn't have to leave behind everything I ever knew and come to this hellishly hot, barren country. Of course, there was never any question, really. I was young and in love. That pretty much says it all, don't you think? Still, I am homesick. I miss the smell of freshly mown grass. I miss the sound of summer rain hitting the pavement and the scent of the wet lawn coming in through the windows. Most of all, I miss my Grams and Grandpa sitting around in the evenings (Grandpa in his recliner and Grams in her regular spot on the couch - Kitiara in her lap) with me in a rocker watching Jeopardy! and trying to yell out the answers before anyone else does. I pray that they have many many more years to live and that we make it home to them and give them many many years to make up for all the time lost with these great-grandchildren of theirs. I hope you who read this take a few minutes to tell the ones you love how much you care about them. Don't take them for granted. -Susan

Well, now here I am, back in the States, and I'm happy - I am! I only wish that my children were here with me. That would make this happiness complete. I want to share it with them. They had me when I was depressed and miserable; when each day was a struggle for me to conjure up a smile and I would bounce back and forth between crazy happy and insanely angry because of it. I wish they could see me now. I wish they wanted to. The alternative - letting them go - that's just not possible,

Oh, well. If you're reading this, I hope you'll take that last line from my journal entry to heart. I know I will.