Radius Toothbrush: My Review and Buyer's Guide

Along with my personal review of the Radius toothbrush, I've compiled a buyer's guide to the available models for adults and kids, complete with features and specifications, including left-handed toothbrush options. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of Radius toothbrushes. Find tips for where to buy individual or bulk brushes, replacement heads, and the holder / travel case for the brush.

Radius toothbrushes and the packaging they come in are made in Kutztown, Pennsylvania in a 19th century mill that was restored in the 1980s to a state-of-the-art, high-tech factory. Only high quality materials are used, and each toothbrush is inspected.

My Review of the Radius Toothbrush

I have used the Radius toothbrush for about six years now. Because of my overwhelmingly positive experiences, this review will mostly cover the benefits of this product, but to be fair I do mention some negatives or disadvantages.

Since I have a small mouth, I've used the Kidz model, the one designed for children age 6 and up, as it fits me better than the adult toothbrush. I also like my bristles as soft as I can get them, and the Kidz Radius is designed with even softer bristles than the adult brush.

I love using the Radius toothbrush. It's gentle on my gums and doesn't leave them hurting or stinging, as all conventional toothbrushes do in my experience (even brushes marketed as supposedly soft enough for young children). Despite the lack of an abrasive feel, my teeth feel smooth and polished after brushing, and I can never find food stuck in the nooks and crannies even when I neglect to floss (which I fear is too often).

I have very bad teeth - I've always gotten lots of tooth cavities, I had gingivitis when I was younger and no doubt it's advanced to gum disease. And it's been worse since I got pregnant and had a kid - I'm ashamed to say I neglect them sorely. I don't brush nearly as often as the American Dental Association tells me I should. As a self-employed writer, I also have no dental insurance, so a visit to the dentist is not in the horizon. Because of this, they will mostly likely slowly rot away in my mouth, no matter what toothbrush or toothpaste I use, and I suppose I deserve everything I've gotten. It's not like I didn't know it would happen - my grandma, smiling at me with her dentures, used to tell me a tale about a "princess who lost all her pearls" and I knew what lurked on the horizon for me if I didn't listen to her cautionary tale! Oops!

However, I believe I'm staving off that inevitable day quite well by using this toothbrush, an ayurvedic toothpaste I buy from Sri Lanka, and Uncle Harry's Tooth Elixir. I really feel that if I were using a conventional toothbrush, regular old fluoridated toothpaste, and no tooth elixir my teeth would be in far worse shape.

The Radius toothbrush is undeniably expensive, but there's a proviso to this. I'm an avid bargain hunter - I will buy in bulk online because I don't want to pay the price for a single product. For years I've bought these toothbrushes rather than the much cheaper ones off the drugstore shelf - in bulk, admittedly, but still I paid about three times for them what I previously would for a toothbrush. But I still feel it's a bargain. The big reason I feel it's a bargain is that they last me forever. Maybe it's my deficiencies in oral hygiene, or maybe it's just the brush, but I only have to replace it about once a year. Unlike every other toothbrush I've owned, it really takes that long for the bristles to start looking frayed.

The big disadvantage of these toothbrushes for me is that I can't use the adult brush because I have a very small mouth, to the aggravation of many a dentist working on my mouth. The Radius brush heads are designed to be wider than standard so that they that they can cover both the teeth and gums in the same brushing action. This means I'm stuck with the kids' brush. Despite the ignominy, the children's brushes are slightly cheaper - so in its own way, this is a benefit instead of a con.

Also, another con is that the Radius brushes don't fit into the standard slots of toothbrush cups. So I rest them upright in a regular cup. I bought the first batch when they came automatically with the travel case (now they only do if it's specified in the product description), but with a cavalier attitude I tossed the travel cases away, to my later regret.

I've used a children's toothbrush on my toddler's teeth and my toddler doesn't seem to flinch or mind the contact.

Advantages of the Radius Toothbrush

• Radius toothbrushes are accepted by the ADA, the American Dental Association. (At the time of this writing, the Fisher-Price toothbrushes are still being evaluated for acceptance)
• They're about as green as a toothbrush can be. They're not tested on animals. The case is recyclable. The Source toothbrush is even made of recycled materials. Although the toothbrush itself cannot be recycled due to the multiplicity of materials, the manfacturer reports on its website that it makes a mean kitchen vegetable brush for years after it's retired from oral hygiene use!
  
• The bristles, made of Tynex© nylon, are designed to be very fine and soft and plentiful (two or three times the number of bristles in conventional toothbrushes, and the bristles are polished to have smooth ends), to aid their thoroughly reaching the spaces between teeth and gums, while gently massaging the gums.
• The toothbrush handle and angle of the head are designed to make it natural to brush at a 45 degree angle to the teeth.
• Both the larger surface area of the head and the bulky handle with its funky shape actually make it easier to grip the toothbrush lightly, meaning you don't press as hard while you're brushing your teeth, resulting in less abrasian of the teeth and gums.
  
• The toothbrushes are cost effective for their lifespan, as they tend to last longer than standard toothbrushes. In a 2000 manufacturer's survey of over 1,200 users, it was found that 30 percent said they lasted 12 months or more, 30 percent reported 9 months, 30 percent reported 6 months, and 10 percent said they lasted 3 months.
• Left-handed toothbrushes are available for adults.

Disadvantages of the Radius Toothbrush

• Not sized conveniently to fit into conventional toothbrush holders
• The bristles are so soft that they can be crushed easily, so if you don't have a protective case, or smush them in packing, or your toddler gets hold of them in the package and gnaws on them (which happened to us) they may get warped out of shape.
  
• Expensive

• 2 minute beeping timer to time the brushing session
• 180-use wear meter
• Disposable replaceable heads - replacement heads available
• Left handed/right handed reverseable brushing
• Comes in Soft or Medium bristles
• Good for adults and kids 6 and older
• ADA accepted

• Flexible neck handle design for hard brushers to minimize brushing pressure - when it bends, you're brushing too hard
• Replace every 9 months
• 6000 bristles
• Available in left-handed or right-handed models
• ADA accepted

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• Suitable for the tender mouths of babies age 6 months through age 18 months
• 8,000 bristles are ultra soft
• Tapered handle for ease of handling
• Corner-free oval head
• Dye-free (billed as the first completely dye free toothbrush)
• BPA free (bisphenol-A) (billed as the first ever BPA-free toothbrush).

Because left-handed people represent less than 10 percent of the commercial market, it can be extremely hard to find left-handed toothbrushes.

Radius makes more than one model especially designed for left handed men and women to maximize ergonomic handling and effective brushing.

The Scuba and the Original Radius both come in left handed options.

Local stores near you may carry this brand of toothbrush. Whole Foods and Wild Oats are natural food stores that are retail suppliers. Some other natural markets, co-ops and pharmacies carry them. You may even find them at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

As seen from the listings here, you can also buy Radius toothbrushes online in bulk or individually on Amazon.com or even on eBay (new, of course!).

When you buy, check whether the toothbrush holder / case is included in the product description. If it's not, you can buy it separately if you choose.

The author has not received any "freebies" for this review. See the author's disclosure statement regarding compensation for this article.