THE BEST ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES

HOW TO CHOOSE = Some of the best electric toothbrushes feature an audible signal that beeps every 30 seconds, indicating that it's time to switch to a different quadrant of the mouth. A built-in, rechargeable battery is convenient and eliminates the cost of frequent changes of batteries.

A toothbrush should deliver enough power for at least one week of brushing on a full charge. This means you won't have to take the charging base with you on weekend trips or short vacations. Brush heads should be replaced every three months (on average).

One handle can be used by the whole family, as long as each person uses his or her own brush head. It's a good idea to make sure you can easily find replacement heads in your local store.

The size of the brush head is important. In general, a smaller brush head allows greater access to hard-to-reach tooth surfaces, but it's a matter of personal preference.

THE REVIEW = The Oral-B Triumph 9400 ranks as the winner of the best quality electric toothbrush. It combines a brush head that both oscillates and rotates, with feedback regarding your brushing technique. Reviewers and testers say that this brush has excellent movement over the teeth, it’s easy to use and has a long battery life.

Features include a microchip which notifies users when their brush heads should be replaced and rewards them with a smiley face on the LCD display when they complete the recommended brush time of 2 minutes. Although this toothbrush is listed at $90, the best price I found was $129 at Amazon.com.

Other top performers include:

Best Electric Toothbrush for Children = Sonicare Elite e9500 @ $120.

Best Basic Electric Toothbrush = Oral-B Vitality Dual Clean @ $17.

Best Battery-Powered Toothbrush = Colgate Motion @ $17.

Best price found in Nov., ’09 and again in Apr., '10 = go to Amazon.com. Marketplace for all models.

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