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world’s lightest toothbrush possibly?


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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 34 total)
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  • #1285697
    Ty Ty
    Member

    @tylerd

    Locale: SE US

    I know this is only a small thing but it's fun to find the little things that don't cost much.

    I stumbled across this toothbrush at Wal-Mart when I was looking to replace my toothbrush at home. It looked pretty light and it was I think $.79, Dr. Du-More's is the brand. I liked how the handle was flat versus the rouned handle Oral-B. I figured for $.79 why not.

    I was pleasantly surprised at the weight, it fluctuates between .2 and .3 oz on my scale for the whole toothbrush versus my Oral-B cut down version that was .5 oz. So for $.79 you get a full handled toothbrush that weights about half what a traditional Oral-B toothbrush weights cut down plus it is cheaper. Can't beat that in my opinion.

    Plus with the flat handle I think it will make it better to hold if you do decide to cut it down. I am going to leave mine the way it is.

    toothbrush 1

    toothbrush 2

    #1839745
    Link .
    BPL Member

    @annapurna

    My free toothbrush from the dentist is .1oz for the full size brush.

    They are from this company

    http://www.nexadental.com/Professionals/info/ORALPROD/prem/index.asp

    #1839747
    Ty Ty
    Member

    @tylerd

    Locale: SE US

    Darn, that was short lived :)

    Still a good option if you don't have a dentist appt anytime soon.

    #1839753
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    Really need to measure in grams for better accuracy. I've been using Dr. Du-More's for years, but never used it backpacking. Have thought about it, so now I will get another one for that purpose. After I bought my earlier ones, they seemed to have disappeared. Thanks for posting.

    #1839767
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Ty: Nice find – way cheap and pretty light without any mods.

    When I consider toothbrushes, I wanted to multipurpose the handle in some way. Bristles on one end, spork on the other? Have the luxury of an easier to hold/use toothbrush and spork because they share the handle weight?

    Or a pen/toothbrush?

    How do we know the toothbrush was invented by hillbillies? Because otherwise, it would be called a teethbrush.

    #1839806
    German Tourist
    BPL Member

    @germantourist

    Locale: in my tent

    The lightest toothbrushes are probably finger tooth brushes used in baby care and prisons like that one:
    http://www.amazon.com/Green-Sprouts-Toothbrush-Silicone-Finger/dp/B003JNELB4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1329327236&sr=8-5
    Although they look great and are incredibly light weight they do not work. I once bought a whole bunch of them and did not like them at all. Very messy and they did not clean the teeth properly.

    #1839808
    Steven Evans
    BPL Member

    @steve_evans

    Locale: Canada

    Anna, 0.1 oz really is light for a toothbrush. I have been using a 4 paws dog/fingerbrush for the last few years and even that weighs 4 grams (0.14 oz). What model is it that you have? I am crazy enough to order one to save 1 gram (and have a full size brush) :)

    #1839824
    Kevin Babione
    BPL Member

    @kbabione

    Locale: Pennsylvania

    I've used both the fingertip brush and the Colgate Wisp. They both leave you feeling like you wiped your teeth rather than that you just brushed them. The other thing about the fingertip (i.e. prison) brush is that you really want your finger to be clean before using it. I had a nasty experience with that when I woke up to a lot of bugs one morning and put my bug stuff on before brushing my teeth…Ugh.

    I'll have to stop by Wal-Mart to pick a couple of these up. I'm willing to carry a couple of extra grams to have a better brushing experience.

    Thanks for the post!

    #1839833
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Christine,

    I agree about those finger-tip toothbrushes. Can't get lighter, but not very convenient. And I worry about shoving my whole finger into my mouth 3-4 times a day. Sure, I'd try to wash my hands well before hand, but any sanitation mistake can really wreck your trip.

    I'm liking these:

    http://www.gumbrand.com/search/?guid=2d6e7ab32f464481bf3ade102cd6a62d&operator=OR&F_All=Y&keyword=interdental&gclid=CJX-5d_QoK4CFWcbQgodkBDC-g

    10 cm / 4" when extended. The brush end inverts and stores more compactly into the handle. The bristles are treated to resist bacterial growth on the bristles. That and a super-mini tube of toothpaste (or none) from a Chinese hotel and it's a very light set-up. 2 grams for the brush (0.07 oz) and 6 grams (0.21 oz) on the toothpaste but it gets lighter as you go. 8 for $4.75.Mini Toothbrush

    #1839841
    John Nausieda
    BPL Member

    @meander

    Locale: PNW

    Price is $35 for the traveler! That is Cuben territory!

    #1839889
    Thomas Conly
    BPL Member

    @conly

    Locale: Lots of canoeing and snow

    This past summer I thru-hiked the AT with a toothbrush I put together. I sawed off just the top of my toothbrush and hot glued it into a carbon fiber arrow shaft. The handle was full length and it weighed .1oz. I can't remember what it was in grams but it was actually less than .1oz. I even got the carbon fiber for free. The archery range had some broken arrows so I used the broken bits. I'll post a picture when I get home if anyone's interested.

    #1839892
    Steven Paris
    BPL Member

    @saparisor

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Also, the Colgate Wisp. The "freshening bead" actually pops right out, leaving just the brush/pick. Not as comfortable as a regular toothbrush but fine for a short trip.

    http://www.colgatewisp.com/wisp/HomePage

    #1839912
    Ben Whitsett
    Member

    @benwhitsett

    David,

    I would throw that brush away… after having come in contact with that filthy scale!!!!

    #1839917
    Kattt
    BPL Member

    @kattt

    I know it's a long shot, but if you know you are hiking in Echinacea ( purple cone flower)territory, it makes a great antiseptic tooth brush. Best if it hasn't dried yet.

    #1839918
    Ben C
    BPL Member

    @alexdrewreed

    Locale: Kentucky

    David, isn't that a proxy brush that goes between your teeth instead of a regular toothbrush?

    #1839927
    Mary D
    BPL Member

    @hikinggranny

    Locale: Gateway to Columbia River Gorge

    Having been forced to spend many thousands of dollars on restorative dentistry over the years, I can assure you that any shortcuts to good dental hygiene on the trail are most definitely not worth saving a couple tenths of an ounce of weight! You need a toothbrush that will easily reach your back teeth and you need to floss daily. Besides, dental floss is a multiple use item, doubling as sewing thread.

    The brush in the first post looks fine!

    #1839943
    Mobile Calculator
    Spectator

    @mobile-calculator

    #1840043
    Link .
    BPL Member

    @annapurna

    Steven,the I have the orapro faze 3 and the orapro classic they weigh 3 grams each for the whole brush.

    #1840047
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    That's an amazingly low weight for a toothbrush. Might have to "secure" one from a dentist. The Dr. Du More's seem to last longer than other toothbrushes I have used in the past.

    #1840051
    Clint Hewitt
    Member

    @walksoftly33

    Locale: New England

    I think I remember a while back reading about some tribe of people chewing on all things sugar cane.

    No toothpaste, no flossing and they had better health then first world countries.

    It purported that just the act of brushing/ chewing with the fibrous stalk would clean there teeth. The sugar would dissipate/ dissolve out and they would keep chewing after words so the sugar had no ill effects.

    Not that sugar cane grows in all the areas we hike in. I wonder if another naturally occurring resource could be found at the end of each day. eliminating the weight all together.

    I personally always bring my tooth brush and floss, but I do not always bring tooth paste.

    #1840101
    Michael Cheifetz
    BPL Member

    @mike_hefetz

    Locale: Israel

    not at the level of cutting down single grams yet…so i just stole my daughters toothbrush…but having read the DIY @thomas spoke about makes me think that one could cut down a full size head and fabricate something with a shepherd's hook tent stake and get double duty

    #1840150
    Link .
    BPL Member

    @annapurna

    #1840190
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    Michael: You mean like threading the end of a tent stake and tapping the same thread into a brush-only portion of a toothbrush?

    It would be worth people's expressions to be (apparently) brushing your teeth with a tent stake. Maybe I'll put one together. -David

    #1840366
    Michael Cheifetz
    BPL Member

    @mike_hefetz

    Locale: Israel

    yeah david – thats what i meant.

    #1840514
    Thomas Conly
    BPL Member

    @conly

    Locale: Lots of canoeing and snow

    I thought about making a double duty handle/tent stake as well but cummon, the carbon fiber weighs less than 3 grams. At what point do we become ridiculous? My goal when going lightweight is to never sacrifice comfort or convenience. I just pack the lightest gear I'm comfortable with and can afford or justify the price of. Tent stakes are dirty and I need them to hold my tarp up when I want to brush my teeth. That being said, if I saw someone brushing their teeth with a tent peg I'd probably shake their hand. :) On that note, my pegs are also made of carbon fiber arrow shafts. 1.6 oz for 10 of them.

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