A Dentist’s Review of the Quip Toothbrush
With the success of subscription shaving supplies, it was only a matter of time before a similar sales model was tried for oral health. A number of companies are attempting this, the most visible of which is Quip.
I personally see Quip ads all over my Facebook newsfeed and elsewhere online. This may be targeted marketing, as my searches tend dentally, but I hear from non-dentist friends that they see them too.
Curious, I recently got my hands on a Quip brush and tried it out for a weekend. Full disclosure, I am a dedicated Sonicare user of 10+ years. As a fourth-generation dentist, at some point, I’ve had just about every make of manual brush, as well as an Oral-B electric brush in the past.
The Positive: Appearance. The design of Quip is quite attractive. The brush is comfortable to hold and pretty to look at. The suction feature is slick – not sticky when you touch it, but easily grips to my mirror or other smooth surfaces. The travel cover idea is nice too. Unfortunately…that’s really the only remarkable feature of Quip—it’s a nice-looking toothbrush.
Negative 1: Function. Touted as an electric brush, Quip is essentially a manual brush that happens to gently vibrate a little. For manual brushers, it adds a little effect, and for Sonic brushers, the “hold the brush in place and let it do the work method” does not work. It’s confusing really. Of course, these small vibrations feel better to some users (versus the Sonic brushes) because they are so delicate, but unfortunately delicate isn’t as effective in cleaning. Also, the bristle design is ineffective at reaching the distal (very back) side of the very back teeth.
Negative 2: Subscription. While it seems there are some loopholes, you are essentially paying a relatively high price to get average toothpaste and replacement brush tips every three months. You must also change the AAA battery on a similar schedule. Quip touts the lack of a rechargeable battery as a positive—I do not. A charged Sonicare easily makes it through a week or more of travel and doesn’t require buying, installing, and disposing of batteries.
Summary: If you have money to burn and want a glorified manual toothbrush, Quip may be for you. If you want the most effective cleaning and don’t need another subscription beyond Prime and Netflix, try a Sonicare (doesn’t need to be the highest-end model…they all use the same technology). Or better yet, at your next dental visit, ask your provider for what they feel would be the best brush for your specific needs.
My advice? Don’t get quipped.
-Dr. Jacobs
Here are a couple of images of a Quip brush (green stripe) next to a Sonicare DiamondClean:
For more information, or to judge for yourself:
Quip: https://www.getquip.com/
Sonicare: https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/electric-toothbrushes
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Posted by
bryanjacobs
on Sep 22nd, 2017
8:29 pm
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