No, You Didn't Imagine It: Dental Hygiene Edition

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joeekaitis

joeekaitis

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It always seemed like a disaster waiting to happen: An oral care appliance intended for use near and in running water, but with a 120-volt electric cord permanently attached. Hadn't we been warned since birth about the dangers of radios and other electrical devices near bathroom sinks and tubs? But then, maybe the added element of danger was what made it appealing, especially since it had received so many endorsements by the practice. If you survived using it, there was always tomorrow. That is, IF you weren't forbidden from buying one by a sensible spouse or cautious parents. "Not in THIS bathroom!" was a common protest.

You once saw them on display at your local druggist because, after all, they were distributed in the Western Hemisphere by a leading pharmaceutical firm, the very company that made the vitamins your mother insisted you wash down with your first swig of orange juice every morning. Yet, you bought another brand, a seemingly safer one because it was rechargeable. And when it finally wore out, you went to the nearest Target for a new one, only to find brands like Oral B, SoniCare and those battery-operated mouth buzzers offered by toothpaste makers like Crest and Colgate. Gone were General Electric, Sunbeam and everyone else who got into the act. That electric-corded nightmare machine was only a memory. Surely, something so patently dangerous in appearance must have faded into the mists of time.

Or had it?

P.S.: The cord is STILL attached but the plug has been replaced by a transformer.</b>

 
Oh you must be talking about SQUIBB!

I have not thought about this in years...

In about 1966 we got one, it looked just like the one shown in this link.

It had a grey plastic case, and different colored brush tips. We each had one in my family. We used it tons, I think we wore it out. I do not know why we did not get a replacement.

 
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Broxatator

My first electric brush was a battery one but instead of the back and forth "agitation" it moved in a high speed circle (think Philco Automagic). The one I have now is an Interplak device. Was very expensive in the day but instead of the whole head shaking your teeth out, the bristles turned independantly. It was enough motion to make me look like a mad dog from the toothpaste foaming out my mouth.

I like the ones that have the round head that work just like the dentist. Apparently that's the way to do it because most dentists use that kind of head.

When I had braces, I had a Water Pik mouth rinse thingy. You put water in the top and switch this puppy on. It basically blasted your teeth with water. It had a variable speed slider to control how much pumpage and it could get painful if you set it too high. It was definitely AC powered
 
Wow!

How insane is that?! I didn't even know they even made electric toothbrushes with freakin' cords attached to them!

Still, I wonder how many incidents there really were associated with that toothbrush?
 
I used to have one of those Water pick devices.I have used several of them.when I did "autopsies" on the dead ones-found most of the parts inside are plastic to isolate you from the metal motor shaft.On the ones I had the plastic pump parts eventually seized up.
The device I use at present is a "Sonicare" electric toothbrush-my dentist recommended it.Love it!! beats the manual brush anytime.The unit has a rechargeable battery in the handle along with a circuit to operate the brush.no motor.There are magnets on the end of the brush shaft that interface with coils in the handle.The charger has a "primary" coil in the base and a "secondary" coil in the brush handle.
 
dental appliances

I still have a Water Pik sitting on the counter, though I rarelyuse it, really should get back into the habit. Currently using one of the cheapie Crest battery toothbrushesm in the past I had a Sunbeam rechargeable, but it got so that the switch wouldn't stay on, had to hold it on with my finger. Replaced the handle, and new one developed same problem. Eventually I'm going back to some brand of rechargeable.
 
Broxodent

WHAT were they thinking?

Not only did they plug directly into the outlet, but they didn't have an on/off switch! To stop the brush, you had to press and hold two little "brake" buttons to stop the motor.

Bet there was a LOT of toothpaste spattering...

veg
 
GE

We had a GE electric toothbrush growing up. The motion of the brush was up and down, a la Frigidaire washer. It was a rechargable battery gizmo that sat safely in a recharging stand across the room from the sink.

And thanks to the modern miracle that is eBay, here it is:

 
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It may sound insane...but...

We totally abused ours. All I can think is that it was heavily waterproofed and fused in case of submersion/leakage. It worked great for years. Even though you are putting water on it, it is no less safe then using your blow dryer over a bowl of water. I wish I could find a complete, unused vintage one just for display. Loved it.
 
I hear your pain on this, everyone.

Won't put electricity to my body.

Dad had an electric razor that plugged right into the outlet.
(there were no GFIs then [a/k/a GFCIs and RCDs])

Not me!

Also heard horror stories (albeit for different reasons) where a young lady trpped over the cord of her personal massager and broke her leg. She said she was despeately trying ot turn it off. [I was not about to ask if there was an on/off switch and if so, why she could not find it.] I can't imagine WHY she went weak at the knees. LOL LOL LOL

oh and this is not a rumor or gossip. This story came from the horse's mouth, directly. We were 10 guys and 2 girls at a table at fancy catered affair, and nearly peed ouselves laughing.

Moral of the story... there are cetain places elctricity should just not go. Think "battey-opeated" or "rechargable."

LOL
 
I have 2 vintage Norelco razors (1980 Rotatract and 1981 Tripleheader) that plug into a regular outlet, and don't have a built-in GFCI. In case you're wondering, yes, I use one daily (switch off between the two). As long as you don't drop 'em in the tub they're pretty safe...haven't been "zapped" by them yet.

Although I've been zapped by a few things so it probably wouldn't come as a surprise...
 
Rechargable Junk

I love my AC powered Remington Micro-Screen shaver. I always close the toilet seat before shaving so I can't drop it in the water, same with the hairdryer. I don't need a rechargable shaver. There are no batteries to wear out and recycle/replace.

This is also a factor with hybrid automobiles, battery life, battery cost, and pollution caused by reclaiming the heavy metals in the batteries.

I also dislike cordless phones -- I can never find the phone when it's ringing!

Ken D.
 
I'm fed up with rechargeables

In most instances you buy a rechargeable item and after about a year or so the batteries need replacing and it ends up costing more for the replacements than buying a new item..ie, cordless phones
 
I'm fed up with rechargeables

HA!.. I used to know which type of batteries were supposed to be completely drained before recharging, and which ones were supposed to be recharged even when "half full"..

I really dont care anymore....

Screw it all!
 
Phone accessories.

I hate cordless phones as well.

The only reason I have a house phone is to leave that number on all offical records/documents and not have advertisers call me on the cell (mobile).

I want to find (again) a wall mounted adapter such that I can shove my cell phone in it when I get home.

These have:
Electricty to charge phone
Antenna to boost signal
Jack to shoot signal into my house (phone) wiring.

This way I can pick up any phone in the house and they are using the cell phone to complete the call.

Clever, huh? This adapter was offered for about 3 mili-seconds until the phone companies (which typically offer both cellular and land-line services) realized that people are getting rid of their land-line house phones in droves. Why encourage the practise?
 
Cellphones in the US are OK for basic communication but crappy for lengthy conversations. You sound like you're talking from the bottom of a pond, and the number of times you have to say "huh, what did you say?" is more than you'd get talking over a 1910 wooden wallphone with a crank on the side. When someone calls me from a cellphone when they have a landline at their disposal, I typically switch the call to my 1953 GPO (England) desk set with the old cupped transmitter until they get the message:-)

Phones in fixed locations such as houses and workplaces should get their power from the telco central office or from the company's PBX, not from batteries in the telephone. A hard-wired phone with no batteries means it will work when the power is out, which is essential if you have storms, earthquakes, etc. that cause power failures.

However, cordless are the only phones that are safe in a lightning storm.

So in most places it's useful to have at least one of each in the house.

Quick recommendations:

Good basic cordless: Panasonic KX-TC-1486B. Good sound quality, good ergonomics, has Caller ID. Black only.

Good basic corded: Panasonic KX-TS-500 and -550. Good sound quality, decent basic features including amplified receiver, good ergonomics, pleasant ring tone that even has a nice quiet "low" setting. Doesn't have Caller ID. Comes in black or white.
 
cell phone quality

"Cellphones in the US are OK for basic communication but crappy for lengthy conversations. You sound like you're talking from the bottom of a pond, and the number of times you have to say "huh, what did you say?""

I don't seem to have that problem with my Sprint phone. One thing I DO notice is that whenever a friend who lives in San Francisco calles me on cell, we end up talking "over" one another.
 

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