Written by: Bonnie Feldman, DDS, MBA, Anna Simon, BS
We interviewed the creators of quip to find out the secret to successful oral care. Now, Dr. Bonnie and interns Becca and Annie got to try quip’s toothbrushes and toothpaste so we could see for ourselves what the hype is about and give you an honest review. We unboxed the package together, tried the products, then answered some questions about them:
What are your first impressions?
- Becca: Beautiful, clean packaging.
- Bonnie: I like the instruction manual, great science communication.
- Annie: The packaging looks like space food. Very aesthetic design, though.
What do you think about the design of the brush?
- Becca: It’s got a nice feel to it – it’s smooth and light, comfortable to hold.
- Bonnie: I like it. It’s thin, lightweight, easy to grasp, visually-appealing. It encourages you to pick it up.
- Annie: I really like how lightweight and slim it is. The tongue brush on the back of the head is a clever touch as well. It’s easy to handle and the copper looks nice in my bathroom!
Do you like the level of vibration?
- Becca: Sometimes I like that it’s gentle and quiet, other times I wish it was a little more powerful.
- Bonnie: The level of vibration is minimal. I don’t love it, but it seems to work. Because of my advanced periodontal disease, I prefer a stronger vibration, so I’m not sure if this is the right toothbrush for me personally.
- Annie: I actually like the gentle vibration. I feel like as long as I brush for the full two minutes, my mouth gets nice and clean.
How do the bristles feel on your teeth and gums?
- Becca: The bristles are nice and soft. I like that I can feel the rubber on my gums and it’s not harsh.
- Bonnie: They feel fine. I didn’t notice anything.
- Annie: They’re pretty soft and gentle. I don’t feel like I’m destroying my gums since the vibration is mild as well.
Has it changed your brushing habits at all?
- Becca: I’ve always been a 2-3 times/day person, so not really. But it easily allows me to brush for the recommended time without having to think about it, which I like!
- Bonnie: No, not yet.
- Annie: It definitely encourages me to brush my teeth for longer. I never monitored how long I brushed my teeth before using quip, but it was definitely way less than two minutes.
Do you follow the timing guide?
- Becca: Yes – I like the 30-sec interval. When it’s done I use the tongue brusher.
- Bonnie: I don’t brush long enough. The timing guide is a good motivator to brush for longer.
- Annie: Yeah, the intervals make it easy to know when to switch locations in your mouth.
What toothbrush did you use before, and how does quip compare?
- Becca: I used a manual toothbrush. Probably CVS brand? I like quip better for sure.
- Bonnie: I’ve used an Oral B and Rotadent. Quip is lighter, nicer to hold, and easier to use.
- Annie: I also used a manual toothbrush, just the one I get from my dentist. I like quip a LOT more since it takes less effort to achieve a cleaner-feeling mouth.
What are your thoughts on the toothpaste?
- Becca: It’s got a nice flavor. It’s fine, but there’s nothing special about it. I use Sensodyne so I prefer that.
- Bonnie: I don’t like the toothpaste. It’s thick and tastes like chemicals.
- Annie: I agree. The toothpaste is pretty standard, fine but not the best.
Final thoughts?
- Becca: I think overall I like it. I wish there was an option to make it more powerful, but I like the timing, I like that it’s slim so I can get it in the back of my mouth easily, and I really like that it’s quiet so I don’t have to worry about waking my boyfriend up in the mornings. One of my favorite parts is the tongue cleaner on the back of the brush head. Overall, I’d recommend it. I think it would be pretty good for kids too since it’s so gentle and easy to use.
- Bonnie: I think it’s lightweight, convenient, easy to use, and would make a great travel toothbrush. It’s visually appealing and lovely. As a dentist, this could be a useful product for the everyday person, but for those with more advanced dental and periodontal disease, it may not be sufficient.
- Annie: Overall I really like the quip brush! The timer made me realize how long 2 minutes is – I definitely didn’t brush my teeth for long enough before. I used a manual toothbrush before, so the electric brush is much easier to use and leaves my teeth feeling cleaner. I like how it’s easy to get to the harder-to-reach back molars with the slimmer head. The brush is lightweight and user-friendly, and it looks aesthetically pleasing stuck to my mirror.
Overall, we all loved the sleek and beautiful design of the quip brush, the fact that it’s lightweight and user-friendly, and the convenience of the timing guide. None of us were very impressed with the toothpaste, and the gentle vibration may be too mild for some people. Besides using it as a daily brush, we thought this would be a great travel toothbrush or a learning toothbrush for kids (although it may be a bit too large for little ones). Have you tried quip? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!