A power toothbrush appliance (10) which includes a user interface assembly (24) having a hidden interface panel (26) and a method of making same, the appliance including a handle (12, 40) and a brushhead assembly (18) with a brush member (24) for cleaning teeth. The user interface assembly is structured so that when the appliance is in the off condition, the user interface panel is blank, and when the appliance is in an on condition, the indicia associated with the selected operating mode of the toothbrush is illuminated and visible to the user. The interface panel includes a first paint layer of gray or black paint (42) on a translucent handle (40). The mode indicia are etched (44) to the handle in the first paint layer. A second paint layer of white paint (46) is applied over the first layer and is light-transmitting so that when the toothbrush is on, the selected indicia are visible to the user.
