• USA Today, Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:30 PM

Hasbro is rolling out a toothbrush that not only plays two-minute pop-music clips through kids' teeth, but also sounds better when the child is brushing properly. As the bristles are brushed across the teeth, they send sound waves through them so that the user hears the song in his or her head. Sound quality tapers off when the bristles move across teeth rather than up and down.

Hasbro's Tiger Electronics division chose upbeat songs that could be easily replicated with decent quality. New hits and old favorites include "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas; "Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson, and "Shake a Tail Feather" by The Cheetah Girls.

The $10 "Tooth Tunes" brushes go on sales today in New York, and will roll out nationally early next year. "It's a gimmick, but anything that increases the amount of time someone might spend with a toothbrush in their mouth might be a plus," says Dentist Matthew Messina, a consumer spokesman for the American Dental Association.

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