Electric toothbrush

[ivfbabymomma1]

I am aware this is a small issue and by no means the biggest problem in my life but...

I recently bought an electric toothbrush (came with 2 toothbrush heads) and it got delivered to my house whilst a friend was over. I opened the parcel and they saw it what it was and said oh is that yours or DHs?
I said it's for both, as our old one broke, we share it and have our own brush head each.

Well my friend was horrified that we share an electric toothbrush?! We only share the bit you hold and we have our own brush heads?!

Now I thought everyone did this?! Are we gross?????

My dentist actually recommended just buying one base and sharing the heads

For what reason? I can’t think of anything worse than numerous people trying to get ready in the morning wanting to brush their teeth but having to wait for the handle bit.

I have friends who come to stay and use my brush with their own brush heads.

Purple

I’ve just asked the dc after they’d brushed their teeth if they find it odd that they all share the base. Dc4(4) shrugged & walked off. Dc3(7) said no but when this one dies can they please have one that’s not green. Dc1(10) & 2(8) said no because it’s because it would be silly to have one each, 1 did say she agrees with her sister & doesn’t want a green one next time either. During this conversation the 2yo was shouting at the top of his voice My Turn while flailing his manual one about & point at the electric one

Sharing electric toothbrushes is a thing?! We have never done that. It wouldn't even occur to me. We have our own.

I wonder what else other people do that I don't. This could just be the tip of the iceberg...

I just told DH about sharing electric toothbrushes and he said "well, it's not quite penis beaker but I do find it bizarre."

It would never have occurred to me to share one. We all have our own.

Totally normal to share - the base of ours takes up far too much room to have two on a shelf and anyway then we'd have to be constantly unplugging one to plug the other one in to make sure they are both charged so that seems far more faff than just putting the right head on each time.

ivfbabymomma1 what have you started

I wonder what else other people do that I don't. This could just be the tip of the iceberg...

Just WAIT until you hear that some people sit down to wipe after using the toilet or how often some people wash their towels! 😱

I'd be a bit disgusted tbh Spitting toothpaste inevitably drips onto the handle and it's faffy changing the heads

@bernards I know! Bloody hell 🤣🤣🤣

@NoSauce Saving money, stopping buying additional plastic crap? No particular dental hygiene reason, I don't think.

We have honestly never had a problem needing to brush teeth at the same time as it isn't how our morning and bedtime routines have worked out. Mornings one of us is normally keeping an eye on the children and the other is getting themselves ready, then we swap. And I tend to go to bed before DH.

I've enjoyed reading this. DH & I have one each but mine is on the blink so I suggested we shared his base and I used my toothbrush head on it. He's very mild mannered and laid back but have me to understand that this was a very revolting idea and totally unacceptable! 😂 I think he was shocked to realise what a slattern he'd married. 😐

I'm loving the idea of the family knife being passed round the table. What else could we share?

You're all being fleeced with these £80+ toothbrushes. I've never paid more than £20 for one.

Nope. Not doing that. Yes it is a faff changing the head. Can never just pull it off and have often chipped nail polish prising it apart

@funmummy48 any court in the land would grant him an annulment 😉
I'm with your DH. My DH offered me the use of his toothbrush when we went away and I forgot mine, I firmly declined.

@WhiskersPete I am really starting to wonder too, never ever crossed my mind not to have my own handle so my mind is boggled about what else could be out there!

If I remember rightly my Oral B toothbrush came with a stand to hold the toothbrush on its charger and four brush heads in a covered tray. I take that as meaning Oral B themselves expect people to share handles. Though at the moment I'm the only person using it, others ended up preferring a manual brush.

Dentist here, tooth brush reps often come to the practice to show off the latest brushes. They are marketed with the intention of sharing a base and using different heads for different people, hence the coloured identifiers on each head. You use the brush to clean your teeth, when done remove the head to rinse head and handle separately, then store base on the charger and head on the part for holding the heads. When next person uses it, they pick up the base and their head, attach, apply toothpaste and brush! Those buying separate bases are a salespersons dream! Obviously people can do as they wish, but they are definitely designed to be shared(and cleaned/stored as separate parts.)

I think some PPs partners must have absolutely horrific hygiene for them to be so disgusted by this. Children sharing a separate one I can understand, but really... Don't tell me you have never put your tongue in your DP's/DH's mouth. If you've got DC you are guaranteed to have dealt with all manner of vomit, diarrhoea and whatever other horrors babies/toddlers get up to.

Yet you're squeamish about THIS?

There are seven of us in my house. We all have a base each. It's gross to share bases.

I've never heard of anyone sharing an electric toothbrush base and would think my DH was crazy if he suggested this.

Goodness! People feel very strongly on this issue and that is only page one.

This is from the Oral B twitter account. They obviously don't know their onions.
There should be small coloured rings inside the package. Attach them to the base of the brush head to differentiate between users.

I'm loving the idea of the family knife being passed round the table. What else could we share?

We have boring cutlery and don't share at the table as the eating part of our cutlery is not detachable from the base. However, a variety of members of our household handle the cutlery bases to remove them from the dishwasher to put in the cutlery drawer. A variety of these people also handle the cutlery bases to set the table. Maybe I need to rethink this.

Those worries about drips on the base and handle bit. Don't you wash your brush after use anyway? I would always give the base a wash under the tap and a wipe over, including removing the head to rinse inside the hollow bit. I then place it in the head holder once it's had a shake to remove excess water.

Not once have we had a dirty base put back into the charger. I'd say that's more of an issue then sharing a base tbh.

Mumsnet is actually so so weird sometimes. I didn't even think this would be considered disgusting or a faff at all. Because it's not!! They're meant to be shared! DH and I did share for ages but when he started getting up super early for the gym or work and brushing his teeth in the downstairs bathroom, we got another one. But DS and I still share (he's only 3 and knows which head is his and always remembers to change it and clean it after). We're both rubbish at remembering to charge them so at least we can always borrow the others when we forget. Get in a bit of a pickle if we both forget though 😂 Everyone I know who has one also shares.