Better sex - with a toothbrush

Women who want to talk about sex can't do much better than Dr. Maureen Whelihan. An enlightening conversation with one of her 70-year-old patients led me to seek out the Wellington gynecologist and sex counselor.

That in turn led to an interview at a neighborhood Friendly's, where I learned why the good doctor encourages many of her patients to keep a battery-operated toothbrush in their nightstand.

As one of three partners at the Center for Sexual Health and Education (www.bestsexualadvice.com), Maureen, 46, is always on the lookout for creative ways to enhance sex, and is a big proponent of thinking outside the box with fun and adventurous options.

But it was her husband, Cody Brown, who first suggested the dual use for battery-operated toothbrushes.

"He's always buying all the fancy products for teeth," she told me. "I guess as he was brushing his teeth one night he thought, 'hmmmmm . . . I know where I'd like to try this.'

"So he says, 'I got a little something, something for us to try,' and shows me the Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush. He said, 'now there's a bristle side . . . but this other side, let me show you.'

"I'm like, 'That's fantastic! How much?' "

When Maureen discovered you can buy a three pack at Costco for around $10, she immediately got samples for her partners at the sexual health center.

"You gotta try this thing that Cody found," she said. "Back of the bristle, see?"

Because the toothbrush has a similar frequency to a woman's vibrator, Maureen now recommends it to many of her older gynecological patients.

"The older you get, the more intense the stimulation you need," she said. "Nerve endings dull as you age, and also just the blood flow."

Though charmed by Maureen's outspoken views, I couldn't help wondering if the young families having breakfast at nearby tables were wishing we'd gone elsewhere. Read on >>