Sometimes I wish I was a toothbrush engineer. Gina came home with a new toothbrush yesterday and I once again marveled at the constant advances in toothbrush technology. I remember when the revolution began. For decades (maybe centuries?) humanity struggled along with a square toothbrush with only simple white bristles. Then, sometime in the 80's, the golden age of home dental care began with the introduction of the tapered head and the bent neck of the Reach brand toothbrush. Now, 20 years later, we have all sorts of bristles that do a much better job of removing plaque between teeth and along the gumline (at least according to the fancy animations on the commercials), various shapes to fit deep within your mouth, colored bristles to tell you when to buy a new brush, and even battery powered oscillating paddles to massage your gums. And everyone knows that if it takes batteries it must be better.
All this means that somewhere there are teams of engineers furiously designing ever-newer (and better?) toothbrushes so we'll be convinced to buy them. With our dental hygeine hanging in the balance, I imagine that these engineers are the cream of the crop, with fancy desk chairs, big computers, and personal assistants. What a life that would be.
The advances in toothcare come so fast now that you better not get too attached to a particular toothbrush. By the time you need a new one, they'll all be different. But at least you'll have 30 or more types to choose from.
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