Spinbrush Warning: FDA Warns Of Flying Toothbrush Pieces That Can Chip Teeth
If you use an Arm & Hammer Spinbrush -- formerly known as the Crest Spinbrush, pre-2009 -- listen up.
The Food and Drug Administration posted a warning today for users of this particular dental device, saying that parts of the toothbrush can pop off and cause your teeth to chip, get lodged in your throat, or fly off into your eye.
"Electric toothbrushes can be very effective in removing dental plaque, and so they can help prevent dental decay and gum disease," Susan Runner, D.D.S., chief of FDA's dental devices branch, said in a statement. "At the same time, it's important to supervise children when they use these brushes, and to look out for any malfunctions of the toothbrush that might cause an injury."
The Spinbrushes that are affected by the FDA warning include: Spinbrush ProClean, SpinBrush ProClean Recharge, SpinBrush Pro Whitening, SpinBrush SONIC, Spinbrush SONIC Recharge, Spinbrush Swirl, Spinbrush Classic Clean, Spinbrush for Kids and the SpinBrush Replacement Heads.
The FDA explained that the adult versions of the Spinbrush have removable heads that are not supposed to come off when you're using the toothbrush. But the FDA has receive reports that the brush head came off, which left the metal parts underneath exposed that could cause injuries by poking the person.
The kids' Spinbrushes, on the other hand, don't have removable heads but the FDA said it's received reports of the batteries leaving burns, and the bristles coming off the toothbrush head and getting stuck in children's tonsils.
As weird as it may sound, this is certainly not the first toothbrush recall. In 2010, the FDA put out a notice warning users of the Oral-B CrossAction Power and PowerMAX toothbrushes to be careful because the brush head could come loose in the mouth and could pose a choking hazard.
And CBC News reported last year on a Health Canada warning of Colgate Motion Electric Toothbrushes, which were recalled by the Colgate-Palmolive manufacturer because the toothbrushes "exploded."
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First Posted: 02/16/2012 6:24 pm Updated: 02/16/2012 11:49 pm