Review of Ionic ProClean Toothbrush

IONIC has some interesting technology that it’s applying to multiple projects. My first interest came from their concept announcement of a drinking glass that imparts high voltage electric pulses to the liquid in the glass… as you drink it. Sounds interesting if mildly terrifying. That product hasn’t been developed yet, but their ProClean Toothbrush is a real product and I gave it a try for a couple months to see how it worked.

This isn’t your normal ‘electric toothbrush’ in that there are no moving parts. The brush handle holds an AAA battery along with some specialized circuitry that boosts the low voltage from the battery. According to Global Ionics’ web site, “Global has recently invented and patented a groundbreaking DC-DC Voltage Booster called “Bull Power”. This oscillator circuit with voltage booster can produce an output voltage that is up to 6 to 8 times the input voltage within a small, compact space. The result is the capability to boost the power of one small 1.5 volt battery up to 9 volts of power.”

The toothbrush has 2 metal contacts – one in the handle and one just at the base of the brushes. When you hold the brush and put it into your mouth a circuit is closed and the electricity moves through your body. I think the oscillator helps to produce the tingling sensation that comes through your mouth when you brush. The feeling is mild and in fact it wasn’t till we used the brush several times that my wife and I noticed the tingle. It’s very mild and a pleasant sensation and similar to (but much milder than) what you get if you touch a 9-volt battery to your tongue.

The company claims the ionic charge “generates negative ions and polarizes the plaque fluid to loosen & repel plaque. The result is cleaner teeth, less plaque, and fresher breath.” Both my wife and I have used the brushes for a couple months and our feeling, though unsupported by any inspections by our dentists at this point, is that our teeth feel cleaner than they did when we used motorized vibrating toothbrushes.

The electric sensation really is a plus regardless whether it actually makes a difference in our dental hygiene and cleanliness. It adds a bright feeling after brushing that seems to last for several minutes. Overall I like the Ionic ProClean brush. You can find more about them and order them here.