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 I thought I brushed my teeth long enough and hard enough. So when my dentist said I had mid-stage gum disease, I was surprised, to say the least.

And I wasn’t very happy to go through root-planing to clean out my gum pockets. Especially because it required local anesthesia and four visits. Without dental insurance.

And it was every bit as awful as it sounds.

I decided I needed to step up my oral care. But how? I was already brushing twice daily and flossing regularly. I wasn’t sure more flossing would make a difference. I asked my dental hygienist.

He  opened his drawer and pulled out an Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 electric toothbrush, telling me that it would absolutely make a difference in the condition of my gums.

 I wasn’t so sure.

Still, I watched as he demonstrated the features of the brush. One thing was clear: Oral-B would get to the hard-to-reach areas my manual method was missing–and that needed the most root planing. (Don’t even ask.)

 Six months later he grinned as he probed and picked: my gums had significantly improved. Significantly, he said.

Now, I was the one grinning.

So here’s why I think the Oral-B toothbrush is far superior to manual brushing:

Its plaque removal ability is exceptional in the Deep Clean setting, which makes a huge difference in my own gum health. Yet, it’s gentle enough so that I don’t feel like I’ve taken a scrub brush to my gums.

Love its five settings: Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Massage and Deep Clean. Given how expensive whitening procedures are, and also that some of them actually hurt, it’s nice to have a brush that whitens at home, without pain. Because I don’t like pain.

And the brush alerts me if I’m scrubbing too hard, which can be as damaging as not brushing hard enough. Who knew?

 I can’t recommend it enough.

Proctor & Gamble has a special offer—buy anything on its new e-commerce site at a 10% discount throughout August—and get free shipping, too, on orders of $25 or more. That’s super-significant savings on P&G products, and a GREAT opportunity to try the Oral-B professional care toothbrush at a discount.

 And oh, by the way, I get a commission on anything you buy on the P&G site if you use my link: Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Toothbrush  But only if you use my link, which takes you to more than just the toothbrush. You don’t have to buy the toothbrush to get the discount or free shipping.

Remember, this offer is good until the end of August: 10% off and free shipping on orders of $25 or more. And the site’s offering lots of great Olympic-themed bundles and deals right now.

So if you want to stock up on your P&G goods, head over to the online shop using my link.  I’m shopping, myself, today!

Isn’t it cool that we can now buy our favorite P&G products without leaving home–any time, day or night? How convenient is THAT?