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Sunday, February 29, 2004
Last week, I went to the dentist - a new dentist, in a new town - for the first time in too long. (Be sure to read this, too.) When I arrived I noticed a full-on display for the Sonicare toothbrush. It was up on the counter and given prominence. When it was time for me to head into the office, the first thing I noticed on the counter was - yes, a Sonicare display.
When I was getting my teeth cleaned, the hygenist recommended the... Sonicare toothbrush. She went on to tell me about its features, including the 2-minute timer and 30-second beeper (this is to remind you to move to another area of your mouth.) I was told it would be good for my weakened gums, which I don't entirely doubt, but it's hard to say, "Why are you selling me this?" while your mouth is open and there's a scraper in it. Once my teeth were cleaned, the dentist came in and spent a whopping three minutes with me. He shook my hand twice and, yes, recommended the Sonicare toothbrush! He really did. Now, I can understand being enthusiastic about a product, but this altogether felt too much like a sales pitch. My last dentist didn't have anything of this sort in her office. (She also spent real time with me, which I appreciated, although I have no idea if that's normal or not.) The Sonicare does seem like a good thing, but the displays were the last straw for me. Is it just me, or is this happening to other people, too? I don't think I like dentists trying to sell me $100 toothbrushes. Thankfully, on the way out, I was offered a free one - and it works just fine. Comments
FROM: Mario500 [E-Mail]
DATE: Sunday February 29, 2004 -- 1:56:26 am While you were there did you notice anything suspicious about the "false teeth"? Something most would suspect on "Candid Camera"? FROM: Matt DATE: Sunday February 29, 2004 -- 1:58:02 am The dentist I had been going to most recently, until my health care coverage switched told me I needed to get a Sonicare. It was quite strange since I brushed at least 3 times a day, flossed, and used mouthwash. At least they told me where would have the cheapest price. FROM: Monica DATE: Sunday February 29, 2004 -- 8:39:23 pm my mom works for a dentist. From what I've heard, they really like those 'lectric brushes, because a lot of people don't brush properly (so they say). (Did they have any comments about your gums?) My mom's boss recommends to get any kind, but I bet he'd take money to recommend a certain brand! FROM: Ryan [E-Mail] DATE: Sunday February 29, 2004 -- 9:24:17 pm Woa -- I had no idea they cost so much... I honestly thought they were like $15 or something... Huyen and I got them as a gift, but they had a mysterious "for promotional use by dentists only" sticker on the front... FROM: jk DATE: Sunday February 29, 2004 -- 9:53:06 pm Whoa, that's just creepy. I wonder how much of a kick-back they're getting. Is that the correct term? I bet they had to go through serious training in order to use the word-track that Sonicair wants them to use. To me, it's very tacky. I like getting free dental floss in the little basket when I leave....very low pressure sell. FROM: Joseph DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 3:22:54 pm After all that selling, how did you end up with a free one? Did you mean a free regular "analog" toothbrush, or a Sonicare? (Thanks again for the word, aharris [see daily ping for 1/5/04]). FROM: Paul DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 3:25:39 pm Oh, sorry, I meant that I got a free analog toothbrush on the way out. I don't think I would have turned down a free $120 toothbrush, though.
From: Paul
(URL)
I'm not kidding when I tell you that our Explanations of Benefits from our insurance company have Sonicare ads on them. They're one-liners, text only, so they can be easily missed.
But seriously, how much money has Sonicare put into the healthcare industry?!
From: Igor
I am a dentist and we recommend Sonicare in our office too, but not beacause I get a "kick back", but b/c there is a lot of research to show that they work! They were the 1st ones to come outwith this technology (then others tried to copy). We pay about $80 per brush with no kick backs. So if your dentist is selling the brush to you for $100 - you are paying for the convenience and as you can see he/she is not making a ton of money.
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