This isn't a food review, but teeth are a vital part of grubbing it up!

I bought a pack of four SmileSonic replacement toothbrush heads, which is supposed to be comparable to the Philips Sonicare e-series replacement heads. They seemed like a good deal since they were only $22.79 for the pack, and they looked very similar to the Philips Sonicare ones. I actually thought I was buying Target's Up & Up brand, which seemed to work OK for me a few years ago. When I got home, I realized these were not (or at least not branded as) Up & Up, but are "Dental Source" by Ranir LLC.

When I put one of the brush heads on my Philips Sonicare toothbrush holder and secured it tightly (like it says to), it made a really loud buzzing / grinding noise and felt very uncomfortable on my teeth. I tried turning the setting down to "gentle" speed, but it made no difference. I tried loosening the brush head, but when I loosened it, it felt too gentle and there was hardly any vibration. I eventually found a sweet spot, but 30 seconds after I put it in my mouth, the toothbrush head would either tighten or loosen itself and become too harsh or too gentle. I tried it for a few days, but I just could not continue using it.

After my attempts at using the SmileSonic electric toothbrush head, I looked up reviews online. It looks like Smile Sonic toothbrush heads can also be found at stores like Walmart, Kmart, Kroger/Fry's, Meijer, Wegman's, etc.

On Target's website, the only reviews I saw were for Target's Up & Up power toothbrush replacement heads. They were all very negative, and users also seemed to discuss the same problems I had with the SmileSonic brush heads.

Source: http://www.target.com/p/up-up-trade-power-toothbrush-replacement-heads-5-ct/-/A-13334440 . Retrieved Feb 6, 2014.

I don't know if Ranir makes Target's Up & Up adult toothbrushes or not, but they do make children's Up & Up power toothbrushes because Ranir recalled kids' Up & Up power toothbrushes recently:

Source: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/enforcement/enforce_rpt-Event-Detail.cfm?action=detail&id=67123&w=02052014 . Retrieved Feb 6, 2014.

Walmart's website also has mostly negative reviews for their Equate SmileSonic replacement brush heads:

Source: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=smilesonic . Retrieved Feb 6, 2014.

Kmart's website has a negative review for their Smart Sense SmileSonic brush heads:

Source: http://www.kmart.com/smart-sense-smilesonic-replacement-brushheads-2-brushheads/p-038W020696050001P? . Retrieved Feb 6, 2014.

Rite Aid has two negative reviews for their SmileSonic brush heads:

Source: http://shop.riteaid.com/Rite-Aid-Replacement-Brushheads-Smile/dp/B005X91FHA . Retrieved Feb 6, 2014.

While I'm sure they might work fine for some, the SmileSonic brush heads didn't work for me and, it looks like they didn't work for many others. For me, there was a huge difference between the SmileSonic and the Philips Sonicare replacement brush heads.

So, though they may be cheaper, don't waste your money on the private label/store brand replacement brush heads! And judging from my own experience and the other reviews, watch out if the label says "SmileSonic" or made by Ranir.

If you do happen to buy them and try them, make sure to at least keep your receipt. Thankfully, I was able to return my pack of Smile Sonic toothbrush heads to Target.

Maybe there will be some good, cheap store brand replacement heads in the future, but I suggest finding a coupon for the Philips Sonicare toothbrush heads or buying them when they are on sale if you want a good deal.

I just bought a pack of six Philips Sonicare brush heads from Costco for $39.99. That's a better deal than the $22.79 pack of four from Target since they actually work properly!