Quip Toothbrush Review

In February 2015, Quip toothbrush started with a new business model and type of vibration toothbrush. The business model was a subscription where Quip would send a new brush head every so often for the toothbrush. Today Quip sends new brush heads every three months. As for their vibrations, Quip started to use a micro-vibration toothbrush that has since taken off in the toothbrush world. So the questions are, “Is the Quip micro-vibration toothbrush technology effective? Do you need a new brush head every three months? And does the Quip toothbrush remove a sufficient amount of plaque?” This Quip toothbrush review will answer all of these questions.

Is the Quip Sonic Vibration Effective?

Quip toothbrushes vibrate at a rate of 15,000 per minute. While the vibration rate is important, it means nothing if the amplitude and power of the stroke aren’t enough to remove dental plaque. When comparing, the amplitude of a Quip vibration is minimal. It appears that the power is not enough to dislodge plaque when brushing teeth. That is why we call these micro-vibrations.

One way I test to see if the power of a brush is enough to dislodge plaque is by examining how much pink-stained plaque remains after I use the brush without manually brushing. You can see how I do this with the accompanying video to this article. I simply move the toothbrush along my teeth, letting the vibrations do all the work. You can see the before and after of the plaque in the images in this section. The results are terrible. These results are the worst I have seen in any toothbrush. To be fair, other micro-vibration and battery-operated toothbrushes I have tested get similar results, but not as bad as the quip on my teeth.

Pink-stained plaque amount before brushing with Quip toothbrush using the "no-scrubbing" technique.

Pink-stained plaque amount after brushing with Quip toothbrush using the "no-scrubbing" technique. A lot of plaque left behind indicating the micro-vibrations didn't do much.

Does the Quip Toothbrush Remove Sufficient Plaque?

As noted above, the Quip micro-vibrations barely remove any plaque. However, sometimes the brush head and bristle design can make up for the insufficient electric power vibrations when you brush manually in addition to the vibrations.

On a separate day, I test for Quip's total plaque-removing capability by staining my plaque pink and seeing how much it removes. The images in this section are the test results but can also be seen in the video accompanying this article. Once again, the photos show awful results. A lot of plaque is left behind, especially between the teeth. What makes a toothbrush good or even great is how far between the teeth it removes plaque. The Quip Toothbrush removes plaque from the most exposed surfaces of the teeth while it completely misses between them. Even a towel or the cheapest toothbrushes will remove plaque from exposed surfaces of teeth.

In my opinion, the reason for this poor performance is an inferior brush head design. The bristles seem very stiff, which is a problem for two reasons. First, it doesn’t allow bristles to reach far between the teeth. Second, stiff bristles can wear down gums and teeth, causing gum recession, thin enamel, and notches in the tooth root.

Not only do I not recommend the Quip toothbrush, but I also recommend almost every other toothbrush over it. In addition to the Quip toothbrush review, I don’t recommend any micro-vibration toothbrush, but virtually all the other brushes still outperform the Quip because they have better brush heads.

Pink-stained plaque amount before brushing with Quip toothbrush with light pressure manual brushing technique.

AFter Quip Toothbrush With Brushing Review

Pink-stained plaque amount after brushing with Quip toothbrush with light pressure manual brushing technique. A lot of plaque left behind indicating the micro-vibrations didn't do much.

Do You Need a New Toothbrush Head Every Three Months?

The short answer is you probably don’t need a new toothbrush head every three months. I have tested a toothbrush head that is brand new versus a used brush head. You can go to the page linked here to read and watch more about that test. The gist is that the old toothbrush was just as good or possibly better performing in plaque removal. So when do you need to change your brush head? The link in this sentence is a study that shows you need to change your brush head when the bristles start bending out of shape. That time frame will differ depending on your brushing habits and bristle material.

Quip Toothbrush Review

Is the Quip Sonic Vibration Effective?

Does the Quip Toothbrush Remove Sufficient Plaque?

Do You Need a New Toothbrush Head Every Three Months?

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