New York Magazine - October 2005

Perfect Timing

By Rima Suqi

Posted October 6, 2005

They say we’re supposed to brush our teeth for two minutes continuously, once in the morning, once at night. Two minutes might sound like nothing, but I am here to tell you that it is alongtime. Recently, I was testing these Radius “intelligent” toothbrushes. They have a button on the side that you press when you start brushing, and it beeps every 30 seconds and then double beeps when you are done. I brushed, and brushed and brushed—I was sure the device was broken because it seemed like an absolute eternity before I hit the first beep. I still can’t make it to the elusive two-minute double beep (unless I let the toothbrush hang there, dangling from my mouth like a cigarette, while I answer e-mails), but I guess we all need to set goals for ourselves, no? (By the way, the head of the brush changes color when it’s time for a new one. Love that.)