By Gayle McBain

THERE is something quite therapeutic about having a scale and polish at the dentist.

Now, that "just been to the dentist" feeling can be achieved at home with a variety of new products.

Ultrasonex is the very latest in oral hygiene -- and, take it from me, once you have tried it you will never want to use a manual brush again.

This electric toothbrush with a big difference has got to be the king of all powered brushes. You will have to take into account the price tag (£79.99 for a single brush and recharger and £99.99 for twin brushes), but if you can afford it the Ultrasonex is worth every penny.

Ultrasonic waves inside a crystal in the brush head combine with the movement of the bristles to work below the gum line, helping to reduce plaque and bacteria.

Once you have got the hang of it -- bearing in mind it feels very different to any other powered brush -- you will be hooked. It is brilliant on stubborn stains. Available at Boots, or ring 0161 947 3170 for other stockists.

Boots electric toothbrushes are ideal if the Ultrasonex is a bit out of your price range. They have some superb brushes that will clean really well and are reasonably priced.

The £30 version is extremely light-weight, the six tufts move individually and stop if you push too hard, which protects the gums. There is a timer which means the brush switches off after two minutes.

The top-of-the-range model (a very modest £40) is simply named the Boots Electric Toothbrush Plus. It includes two brush heads and a storage tower. Available at Boots in Bolton.

BRAUN Oral-B Plak Control (£14.99) is the perfect introduction to power brushing if you have not tried an electric toothbrush before -- and is ideal for weekends away.

It is proven to clean better than a manual toothbrush and is available in a rechargeable or battery model. If you do not fancy using an electric toothbrush why not try the top-of-the-range CrossAction manual toothbrush (£3.99), which claims to remove more plaque than other manual toothbrushes. Available from all large chemists and supermarkets.

Periproducts has a range of mouth-cleansing must-haves. Try the Oolit elite tongue cleanser (£3.29), Denti-Styx (£2.99) -- which are flexible interdental sticks for getting between teeth -- and the Pro-Flosser (£3.95), which makes flossing easy and contains enough for more than 250 uses.

The tongue cleanser is available at Boots, Superdrug, chemists and dentists and the Denti-Styx and Pro-Flosser can be bought from pharmacies. For stockists ring 01484 850707.

Beverly Hills Formula products are great for keeping your mouth ultra-clean and your teeth ultra-white. Try the whitening toothpaste (£1.99 for 50ml) and whitening mouthrinse (£3.99). Available from supermarkets and Superdrug.

BRIGHT IDEA: The new Ultrasonex is the very latest in oral hygiene