Electric toothbrushes - one each or just a head each?

[PollyOrange]

I'm looking at a new brush for my son. We currently have 3 (bulky) electric brushes and I wondered about sharing the handle and having a head each. I'm not sure why but it feels a bit weird. Does anyone do this ? I did it with my youngest when he was tiny but he's got his own now. Is it chance to clear space or weird ?

Have never actually thought about this but now I have would prefer to keep having my own toothbrush and other family members theirs. An electric toothbrush each, you would charge it the same and replace the heads more regularly so doesn't work out cheaper? Even when I was young we all had our own non electric toothbrushes. Fine to share occasionally if forgotten on holiday etc but personally like my own! X

we share, clean the handle after each use, swapping the heads is no bother and everyone does it reliably, separate toothbrushes for travel

not really something I’d considered a big deal but I can see it is for some people

It's really not. Takes less than a second to take it on or off.

First person to clean their teeth comes across a headless toothbrush, puts their head on. Brushes teeth, takes head off, puts the other person's on.

Second person brushes teeth, takes their head off.

I've only ever seen people sharing electric toothbrushes on Mumsnet. It's such a bizarre concept to me.

What if you all want to brush your teeth at the same time?
Or what if 1 person isn't great at cleaning the handle?

It's a big fat no from me.

Nope wouldn't share, DH gets dribble foam all over his and yes he rinses it , but he does get gunk between the head and handle, also going to use it and someone else hasn't put it on charge, not being able to take it when I stay out over night. I thanks I'd rather have my own, I have a white one, DH a black one and DC a Spiderman one with Elsa heads at the moment!

All of this.

In my house (me & 3 teens) there wouldn't be a chance heads would be swapped. It's hard enough to get my 2 DSs to bloody brush their teeth!

The toothbrushes get v manky; yes, I ask them to rinse, they don't, so I usually de-gunk each week.

Cannot understand why someone would go to the effort of having multiple brush heads & swapping. And - the little rings will easily slip off being taken on & off the brush, you'll never know who owns which.

It's never occurred to us to have separate ones, we are two adults and two teens with one bathroom so there isn't space for four of them in any case. Each person takes their head off and hangs it in a little holder on the wall, the handle gets rinsed and popped back on its stand, plugged in when it needs it. No mess, no dribbles and we all have manual ones for travel.

No the rings don’t slip off.

x-posted. The little rings never come off, they snap on tightly.

I'e never even thought about sharing a toothbrush. I really couldn't be bothered fiddling about changing the heads.

DH and I each have our own, we change the heads regularly but it wouldn't occur to us to share.

yes, most people seem to be of the fuck the planet mindset

We don’t all want to clean our teeth at the same time, or we are able to hang on a minute if someone else is cleaning their teeth.

we all clean the handle adequately

if these things weren’t working then we probably would get more brushes, but none of these problems have come up so far

not a big deal

We have 4 separate ones. One each.

Do you not clean things after use in your house?

They sometimes come off when I'm changing them so they certainly can do. I know they clip on tightly but it's not infallible!

It's great it does work for others - I think you must have more ordered, calm households. There would be shrieks from my lot claiming another sibling hasn't changed the head, and I'd hate the faff myself. I could also be guaranteed the heads would not be nearly replaced but would be dropped behind presses or into the bin or 'couldn't be found' and the replacement heads are not cheap!

We all have separate ones. I'm nowhere near a germophobe but the idea of sharing a toothbrush body makes me feel sick. All bacteria and toothpaste etc dribbles down the handle. They're not exactly expensive so not sure why you'd all share one.

I'd be fine with this if I trusted my kid to change the handle. She barely brushes so probably not worth worrying tbh...

Do you not clean things after use in your house?

What a head-tilty comment 😀

I clean. A lot. Some of the DC do, to variable extents.

I can absolutely guarantee that sharing a toothbrush would really in innumerable rows about who didn't clean the toothbrush this time. I cannot add to the already-long list of similar arguments!

I'm fascinated that this can now be added to the MN divisive topic list of toilet brushes, bra changing, shoes indoors & PJ wearing that regularly incite MN polarisation!

I don’t really see it as a big deal either way

This is like people who share towels. I just can't.

“Not exactly expensive”

depends how many family members you are talking about and how long you want it to last

It’s nothing like sharing towels.

Yes it is

We rinse the handle after use, not sure why anyone wouldn’t even if it’s not being shared. We now use a Suri brush which is less prone to gunk than our old oral B one and fully recyclable, but more expensive.