Ruminations on a toothbrush

The other day, we were coming back from taking Julio to the vet. Stella wanted me to stop at a pharmacy to pick something up. There was a CVS on the route home, so I pulled in. She waited with Julio in the car while went in to pickup what she needed.

Once in the store I found what she wanted quite easily. Then it occurred to me that I needed something myself, but what? Scanning the store I finally remembered that I needed a new toothbrush.

For many years I’ve used the battery operated “Spin Brush” electric toothbrushes. I’ve had a number of these. The heads are replaceable, but the mechanism itself doesn’t last forever.

These things were initially offered under the “Crest” brand. Eventually, they transitioned to the Arm & Hammer brand. They’re less costly than the fancy electric toothbrushes. In reality, I don’t want something that demands counter space for a base or charging stand.

Some years ago, my former dentist remarked that he noticed a change when I started to use the Spin Brush. On that basis, I thought them worth the cost. Even if they nominally use disposable AA batteries. If I was more of an environmental advocate, I could use rechargeable batteries. Then we’re back to needing space for the charger. Ours is a small house, easy to get cluttered with such cruft.

Anyway, I made my way over to the dental care aisle to see if they had any Spin Brushes. They did, but only ones initially apparent were targeting kids. I could get one that was Paw Patrol themed. Or one bearing the image of a Disney Princess.

Now, I am very dog-friendly. I take Julio to the best dog park in the city twice a week. I have a shirt from Life is Good that proclaims “Dog Dad.” But I just could not see me using a Paw Patrol toothbrush. And a Disney Princess is a non-starter.

On the other hand, I do have a shirt with an original Winnie The Pooh graphic. I’m a life-long fan of Pooh. But I digress.

I kept looking. Eventually I found one lone Spin Brush that wasn’t for kids. Problem solved, I guess.

The next morning I opened the package intent on brushing my teeth. This new Spin Brush only barely worked. The battery seemed to be ok, but the mechanism stopped and started fitfully. It seems to have suffered in the plague of enshitification that’s sweeping the world.

I’m guessing that, in an effort to wring out costs, production of the product has changed. Whereas my earlier Spin Brushes worked well enough for a couple of years each, this one barely works at the outset. It appears that the build quality is simply sloppy, making it prone to jamming.

Perhaps I’m jumping to conclusions? It could be that what I have is simply a fake. Such fakes are common in some businesses. Looking at the official Spin Brush web site I see that the only recommended place to buy is Kroger. I guess I’ll get one from our Local Kroger to see if it’s properly functional.

It’s annoying when a product that you once trusted goes to crap.