After one too many frustrating visits to the dentist, I decided 21st-century standards of oral hygiene might be beyond my reach as an unassisted mortal. Would technology help? Early trials suggest that it can. The most important part of the equation is a floss substitute like this jet cleaner ($60) by WaterPik. I had worried that a little blast of water couldn’t match the physical contact of floss, but I was wrong: Even on the next-to-lowest pressure setting (the WP-100 model can go from 5 to an astonishing 90 pounds per square inch) it was reaching where it needed to with ease. Using the thing takes some getting used to — be prepared to splash all over your countertop and mirror the first few times — but mastering a couple of common sense precautions, like turning off the water before removing the jet from your mouth, doesn’t take long, and the device is available as a self-contained cordless model ($50) that makes things even simpler. Flossing may be far more intimidating than brushing, but I went for the full Robo-smile by trying a “sonic toothbrush” ($80) as well — and, despite my doubts, must  report that it leaves my teeth somewhat closer to that “just back from a cleaning” smoothness than my trusty manual brush. Of course, since WaterPik started marketing pulsating jet products in the ’60s (under the name Aqua Tec), plenty of companies have put their spin on things: Today, you can get Oral B toothbrushes with wireless monitors ($150) or spiral streams of microbubbles ($120); you can even get a spinning-head Spiderman brush for seven bucks. All well and good, but do yourself a favor: If you’re at all vulnerable to obsessive-compulsive disorder, don’t even look at advertisements for Sonicare’s $50 UV Sanitizer.

One of the most important purchases new parents make is their baby’s car seat. For newborns, the best bet is an infant car seat, not a convertible (infant-to-toddler) car seat. Infant carseats are specially designed for babies weighing 22 pounds or less; they are rear-facing and come with handles. The seat attaches to a base that is anchored to your car, usually via the LATCH system (LATCH stands for “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children”), required of all cars made in the United States after 2002. Best of all, the seats also double as baby carriers, feeding seats and a place for Baby to nap. Baby Trend Silverado Flex-Loc infant car seat has a five-point adjustable harness and an adjustable head support and comes in various color combinations ($89 at Walmart). The seat fits into the Flex-Loc base, which is purchased separately ($37). The Britax companion infant car seat goes the extra mile in protection, with deep side walls and head support designed to protect your infant in side-impact collisions ($210).The Graco SafeSeat is a rear-facing car seat designed to hold a child up to 30 pounds and comes with a stay-in-the-car base (on sale for $99). In the baby products world, Peg Perego is the equivalent of the Mercedes-Benz. Thus, if you can afford it, the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio infant car seat with side-impact protection and a “comfort-dry” pad for those times when the diaper happens to leak is an excellent choice ($250). It works in cars, airplanes and fastens into Peg Perego strollers. For more advice on how to select an infant car seat, read this informative article from BabyCenter. Also, Car-Safety.org contains comprehensive tips on how to keep your children secure in the car.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave … with all of our tech gear and corresponding chargers. Get a handle on all those cords and manage your family’s cell phones, MP3 players and digital cameras with a handy charging station. Pottery Barn’s lacquer Smart Photo caddy and recharger has a back cubby for portable electronics and a six-socket power strip concealed behind. Cubbies in the front stow desk accessories and three photo openings create a desktop gallery ($99). Plug and play your iPod while charging other electronics all in one spot. The lacquer Smart all-in-one (pictured) includes built-in speakers and a six-socket power strip ($169). Kids these days often have more gadgets than their parents, which means they could probably fill their own charging station. The kids docking station comes in a rainbow of colors and features cutouts like hearts and stars ($79). Bed Bath and Beyond sells a more basic model. The black 600 Denier charging station provides a home for up to four devices ($15; power strip sold separately). Brookstone’s mini charging valet is the perfect addition to your workspace, whether it’s at the office or at home ($30).

Did you know you can watch plenty of films instantly through your high-speed Internet connection without leaving your sofa? With a set-top box (as in TV set) similar to your cable box, you can choose from thousands of films with the click of a remote. The Roku Netflix Player ($100; pictured) is a one-time purchase for Netflix subscribers. Hook it up to any TV — whether it’s the newest HD model or one you’ve had for years — and you can select movies and TV episodes from your Netflix Instant Queue to watch right away in the comfort of your bedroom or living room or wherever there’s a TV and an internet connection. (You’ll still receive DVDs via post from Netflix, in accordance with your monthly subscription.) Vudu is a competing service for those with fast Internet connections (2.2 Mbps for instant viewing). The box costs $299, with a wireless kit for $50, and even though you do not have to have a subscription, you do have to pay rental or purchase fees for each program. With Apple TV (40 GB for $229, 160GB for $329), you can rent movies from the iTunes store and watch them instantly on your computer, iPod, iPhone, or television, but you must own a widescreen enhanced-definition or high-definition television with an HDMI, DVI, or component video input port. You also must have an iTunes Store account and a broadband Internet connection. Just think: No more driving to the rental store or dealing with heavily scratched movies that freeze up during the film’s high point.

There’s an art to giving the gag gift, so necessary at those over-the-hill-themed birthday parties. Aside from eliciting at least a chuckle, the item must be impractical, not offend, fit that particular person and show how much you really care. For the boy who never grew up — and that may include a few people you know — anything that shoots will do. No one will get hurt with the Marshmallow Blaster ($25). For the man who’s watched too many episodes of The X-Files or UFO Hunters, the mini remote-controlled UFO flying saucer can glide and hover and even light up (on sale for $25). For the book lover, this set of temporary tattoos ($8) proclaim, “Read or Die,” “I [heart] Dewey Decimal System” and “Book Lust.” The Homer Simpson Chia Pet is a hoot, even without donuts ($20; pictured). The Elvis Pez Dispenser set comes with a gold Elvis record — er, CD ($20). For the Star Wars geek, there’s the Storm Trooper bobblehead ($13). Inspire a little therapeutic fun with the Freudian Slip Post-it Notes ($6.50) or the Freud and Couch finger puppets, which handily double as refrigerator magnets ($13). Or for the Type A person, Despair’s line of Demotivator merchandise might make the perfect, well, demotivator. Finally, you can breathe some life into that party by passing out boxes of AtoneMints for Each of Your Sins, EnlightenMints or Sin-o-Mints ($3).

Japan’s Rare Mono Shop sells far-out, amusing and somewhat useful gadgets, most of them involving USB devices. I only know because the company is poised to open a U.S. store in August and the English language catalog is now online. I highly recommend a visit to browse products such as “bone conduction headphones,” which transfer sound through the cheekbone rather than into the ear. If you love the unintentional results of bad Japanese-to-English translations, there’s plenty to enjoy here. (“Outside sound can be heard as it does not close your ears!” reads the copy beside a male model demonstrating the headphones with ears uncovered.) The funniest mistake in translation I found was a $2,980 price tag for a combination USB hub/tape dispenser that looks to be worth $29.80 at best (or else our currency is in much worse shape than I thought). Actually, not many of the items are priced yet and the site warns visitors, “We do not accept return of the product due to misuse or misunderstanding of the product. If you have any concern, please wait until we introduce officially for international market.” That should be in August. I can hardly wait to learn more about the gold ingot USB hub, pictured, which looks like a real gold brick into which one can plug eight USB devices. Also of interest: the compact, portable USB AC charger, which powers USB-driven devices without a computer. Just plug it into an outlet and plug-in up to two devices. The Rare Mono Shop sells all sorts of gadgets to use with it, such as a USB eye warmer and USB aroma diffuser. You get the idea.

Why are people still buying book lights with conventional incandescent bulbs? The answer isn’t price: The famous Itty Bitty light costs $45 (some of which probably goes to that cutesy package), and users have to budget $7 a pop for replacement bulbs. Meanwhile, LED bulbs practically last forever and are more eco-friendly to boot, using much less energy to deliver comparable light. This Xtra Flex 2 from Mighty Bright has a more easily maneuverable neck than the Itty Bitty lamp, clips firmly onto your book (or stands by itself), and at $17 is just over a third of its competitor’s price. Granted, those of us who don’t want to run on battery power have to spend another $10 on an AC adapter — it’s still a bargain, and the cord is long enough to reach the most inconvenient under-the-bed power outlet. The Mighty Bright folks have branched out cleverly, with a two-arm light/magnifier gizmo for crafters and some sleek workhorses for musicians, but the item that will likely come in handy for us all at some point, whether we read at bedtime or not, is a magnifying glass with a built-in lamp — you may still have a hard time comprehending the fine print of that new cell-phone contract, but at least you’ll be able to read it.