Toothtunes
© 2007 Tiger Electronics (Hasbro)
This musical toothbrush is specially designed to fill your child's mouth with music while they brush. The theory is that if they brush for the full length of the two-minute song, their teeth will get a good cleaning. So this toothbrush is actually a form of a timer. The feeling is a bit eerie (this bright-smiled writer did give it a try). The sound is transferred through the brush tip, your teeth, and right into your inner ear, so the music comes from the inside out. Because the volume is controlled by the pressure, you don't get the music unless you apply pressure. The brushes cost $10 each at www.toothtunes.com or at a retail store. There are now a variety of tunes to choose from, including the Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff, KISS and others. There's even a brush that plays Y.M.C.A., so theoretically you can have the Village People, playing "inside your head." This disposable brush (powered by three non-replaceable AAA batteries) features a waterproof switch and handle that is designed to sit upright on its base. Enter a new tool for the digital parent: "Keep brushing until Queen has finished singing, honey." Testers findings: Two minutes is a LOOOONG time to brush your teeth. Try it some time; your mouth fills with suds, that usually end up running down your arm to your elbow. (If your child does brush for this long, at least make sure he or she turns off the water). Also, our test family found that children would stop brushing to better hear the music. They just killed time by pressing the bristles to their teeth, sans motion.
$10, Smart Toy
Teaches: dental health