Brushing Teeth in the Dark – GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush – Review & Giveaway (CLOSED)

It’s amazing how much faster time passes for kids than for adults. Somehow, when kids are asked to wait five minutes they think it’s been five minutes after only one. On the other hand, if they’re told that they can do something for just 10 more minutes, they’ll insist it’s only been five.

When it comes to keeping teeth healthy, it’s important that we spend enough time covering every tooth surface and getting into every crevice to brush away the icky germs and bacteria that help form cavities. Dentists recommend brushing teeth for 60 seconds or longer, so for kids who have, let’s say…a poor sense of time, it’s not always guaranteed that they’ll brush as long as they should. The new Gum Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush has a creative way to let the kids know how long they’re supposed to brush.

At the base of every Gum Crayola Timer Light toothbrush is a small button that the kids can press when they’re about to start brushing their teeth. The toothbrush will then start flashing two colored lights, lighting up the whole brush, for one minute. As long as the toothbrush is flashing, the kids should keep brushing. When it stops, they’re all done! To make it even more fun, the kids can even turn of the bathroom lights, so they’re in there with their mouth flashing blue, green, red or yellow, depending on the color brush they’re using. Here’s a shot of the blue and green Gum Crayola Timer Light toothbrush so you can see how the entire brush is illuminated with the matching color. (By the way, figuring out how to take a picture of two flashing toothbrushes in the dark, that flash at different rates is definitely a fun photo challenge!)

The GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush has a smaller, tapered brush head so it will be more comfortable and will fit into the kids’ smaller mouths, especially kids between 4-11 years old. (The picture shows a side by side of the Crayola toothbrush head on the right next to a larger toothbrush.) The bristles are brightly colored green, blue, and yellow Dome Trim bristles, which helps remove plaque. They are also soft bristles so that they’re gentle on the gums and teeth (just in case the kids brush too hard.

One feature I absolutely love is the rubbery, suction cup base. It allows you to stick the toothbrush to the counter, so it’s standing up vertically. Not only does this help keep the counter clear, but it also keeps the bristles in the air so they don’t pick up other dirty stuff (like soapy water from washing hands.) This feature is so cool, I don’t understand why every single toothbrush – including ones for adults – doesn’t have a suction cup on the end.

The GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush is available in stores now and can be found online at www.gumbrand.com. My local Safeway is selling them for $3.49, which is very reasonable for a toothbrush that actually makes brushing teeth fun (IMO.)  I think this would also make a great stocking stuffer for kids who need a little bit of help making sure they’re brushing their teeth long enough as well as those who like flashing lights (and which kid doesn’t?)

You can also try your hand in winning a special GUM brand prize package in the WCatDD Gum Crayola Toothbrush Giveaway!

The Prize:

One winner will receive a Gum brand prize package including: TWO GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrushes, GUM Crayola Flossers (in berry, green, and blue), and for the adults – GUM Eez-Thru Mint Flossers and TWO GUM Technique+ Toothbrushes.

To Enter:

Make sure you follow the directions carefully. All giveaway entries should use the ENTRY FORM. You only need to fill out the ENTRY FORM once, unless you decide to additional earn extra entries at a later time. You can earn up to 12 entries into the WCatDD Gum Crayola Toothbrush Giveaway by doing one, some or all of the following:

Ways to Earn Entries:

Make sure you use this ENTRY FORM for your entries to count!

1. THIS ENTRY IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO BE VALID (+1): Visit gumbrand.com and tell me what other products you think you would like.
2. Post this giveaway on your blog (+3)
3. Tweet about this giveaway using the “retweet” link at the top of this post or by tweeting “Shining light in the dark and keeping teeth clean with the @WCatDD Gum Crayola Toothbrush Giveaway! http://bit.ly/77UJ5P” (+1)
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The Rules:

One winner will be selected at random for this prize.

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST, December 17, 2009.

Visit our Giveaway Rules page for general giveaway rules that also apply to this giveaway.

Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a free Gum Crayola Toothbrush Package from the manufacturer or the representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.