If fresh water is in short supply while you’re camping, you can still keep your teeth clean and healthy. Gill Hook has a brush with ion power!
If you wake up in your tent feeling like a bear slept in your mouth but there’s no fresh water for miles, you’ll feel pretty smug if you’ve got the hyG toothbrush with you. This nifty little device needs neither water nor toothpaste to clean teeth and gums thoroughly – and the makers say it will even get rid of plaque.
All you need to do is wet your thumb and place it in contact with the metal plate on the handle, then brush your teeth as normal. And it works – my teeth felt really clean and there even seemed to be a minty, toothpaste-like aftertaste.
So how does it work? The hyG uses ‘iontophoretic’ action: there is a strong attraction between teeth and plaque, so the brush reverses the polarity of your teeth from negative to positive. Since plaque is positively charged, it is repelled from the teeth and onto the negatively charged toothbrush. Got that? There may be a test later…
Washbag wonder
The hyG is slightly heavier than a normal toothbrush because of the battery, which the makers say will last three to four years – there’s even a button on the brush to test the power level.
Other than that it looks just like any other toothbrush, so just sling it in your washbag and, with your sparkling pearly-whites and fresh breath, you’ll be the envy of fellow campers.
Product information
The hyG Ionic toothbrush costs £9.99 and is available from Waitrose stores and independent pharmacies, health food shops and dentists. It’s also available online from Amazon.
Ending soon on Ebay
 | US $14.95 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 0:21:37 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $14.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
 | US $14.95 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 14:04:18 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $14.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
- Gill Hook is a freelance journalist and can be reached via www.gillianhook.co.uk
October 21st, 2009 at 11:19 am
I love this idea. Reasonably priced and would be perfect for either wild camping, or when you’re out with 20+ young DofE participants and just can’t get near a bathroom for 2 hours.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:24 am
Absolutely. I’m impressed by the ‘minty taste’. Wonder if it’s a feature or psychosomatic?