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Comment by jrockway | Hacker News Reader

I just change the brush head on the 1st of every month. They say it lasts for 3 months, I must press too hard. So it goes.

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...I must press too hard

Could be. My wife presses so hard, I hear the motor bog down. "JFC, honey, let up a bit", to no avail. She's constantly replacing her heads. I literally can't remember the last time I popped a new one on mine. I could easily believe it's been six months (and, yeah, it's about due).

That’s probably really bad for your wife’s teeth.

It's mostly bad for your gums. The plastic bristles and abrasives in toothpaste aren't meaningfully wearing healthy tooth enamel in the amount of time most people spend brushing.

I just got a new Sonicare. It actually has a feature that detects the over current condition, stops the motor, and buzzes.

> I must press too hard

a dental hygienist told me to hold it with just the thumb and forefinger.

I can't quite manage that, but if you look at how drummers hold their sticks, it's never in a fist. Their arms wouldn't last through one show like that.

So if you at least take your little finger off it, the amount of pressure goes down.

> but if you look at how drummers hold their sticks, it's never in a fist

Watch Roy Mayorga.

> "Reversed, the way the weight of the stick meets the head is just insanely loud. It makes your drum project so much more, if that’s what you want. That’s when you’ve really got to stretch your arms out, because the weight of the stick makes for a lot of wear and tear on your forearms."

  https://drummagazine.com/roy-mayorga-the-soulfly-interview/

I'm not a drummer, so I shouldn't make blanket statements like that, I guess. I always thought they held the sticks loosely.

Look at Ginger Baker & Elvin Jones, from 0:56 on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTvZl8G9Z4

Or Roy Haynes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBeBnnqpOcs

OT but said that I was brushing too hard and told me that holding the brush at the tip (so that you have less physical leverage on it (instead of gripping it like you would some other appropriately shaped bodily appendage)) will result in the right amount of pressure.

Pressing too hard likely makes it much less effective. With the Sonicare brushes you're supposed to let the vibration do the work, and just like holding the cone of a speaker still you're not getting the vibration that does the job.

The version of the brush I have buzzes at you if you’re brushing too hard.

Mine does too, a light on the bottom lights up as well. I sometimes absentmindedly activate that feature but it's not normal.

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