Comment by Hackbraten
6 years ago
I disagree. Electric toothbrushes need to be 100 % waterproof to be usable safely. If I were a toothbrush manufacturer, I’d at least look into making the brush self-destruct when opened, for safety reasons (and safety reasons alone).
Is this true? My electric toothbrush runs on one double-A battery. That isn't enough power to electrocute me.
Of course, high-end electric toothbrushes have rechargeable batteries inside of them, and maybe they have more capacity. But on that note, I think I've needed to replace my battery exactly once in the past year. These things don't take much power, that's one of the reasons it didn't feel worthwhile for me to upgrade to a higher-end more expensive model. And rechargeable electric toothbrushes get plugged into cradles -- they don't need enough capacity to run for days and days.
I am mildly skeptical that a non-waterproof electric toothbrush would be dangerous to anyone.
Edit: I just checked my toothbrush to make sure, the only waterproofing is a tiny, easily removable rubber ring where the battery case screws on. This doesn't seem to be something my manufacturer is worried about, which might make sense, because I don't put my toothbrush handle under the water when I brush my teeth; I hold it.
I suspect that the main safety issue is shorting the battery, not electrocution.
What about an electric toothbrush is unsafe if it is not 100% waterproof?
You might feel a minor tingle on your tongue if the battery connects to it somehow
The battery can catch fire when shorted?