The world's first-ever LED electric toothbrush has arrived – but I'm pretty sceptical

Everyone’s heard of the best LED face masks by now – especially with how popular they’ve become on social media. However, when I first found out that the first-ever LED electric toothbrush was on the way, I couldn’t help but be a little dubious. After all, red light therapy works by stimulating light receptors in the skin to encourage regeneration, improving things like fine lines and blemishes. So… how exactly does that translate to our mouths?

If you haven’t heard already, the brand behind this innovation is Bon Charge, which has just launched what it’s calling the world’s first Red Light Toothbrush. According to Bon Charge, it’s “a new frontier in oral hygiene designed to support gum health and promote overall oral wellbeing.”

Sounds good on paper, but let’s dig a little deeper.

The brush combines high-frequency sonic vibrations with targeted 830nm near-infrared and 660nm red light, designed to stimulate and massage the gums. Beyond that, details are pretty thin.

Andy Mant, Bon Charge’s co-founder and CEO, says: “Near-infrared and red light wavelengths have been widely studied for their role in supporting natural renewal processes, benefits that until now were rarely applied to oral care. By combining this dual-light technology with high-frequency sonic cleaning, the toothbrush supports oral health in a way that traditional brushes simply can’t.”

Again, this all sounds impressive, but I still want to know – what does “renewal” actually look like in your mouth? And what real benefits do “massaged gums” deliver beyond what we already get from a solid electric toothbrush?

To be fair, the rest of the features are much easier to get behind. There are four intelligent modes – Clean, Sensitive, Care and Polish – and a 2-minute smart timer with 30-second quadrant prompts and a memory function to save your preferred setting. It charges via USB and lasts up to four weeks per charge, and it even comes with two refill heads in the box – which we all know is a rare bonus these days.

On paper, those are exactly the kinds of features you’d expect from one of the best electric toothbrushes. It’s just that the red light therapy part still isn’t quite selling it to me.

It always raises an eyebrow when a brand suddenly enters a category in a way no one else really has before. With bigger players like CurrentBody and Therabody staying out of this space so far, I can’t help but remain cautious. That said, there’s definitely room for innovation here, and if the Red Light Toothbrush can back up its claims in practice, my opinion might well change.

If you’re curious, the Bon Charge Red Light Toothbrush is available now for £150/$199 from the brand’s online store.