When launched in late spring 2020, this toothbrush cost £500, which is preposterous. But, like buying perfume on a market stall, toothbrush pricing rarely stays fixed for long, which means this superb brush has finally drifted into the, ‘if it’s really that good, I’ll invest’ bracket.
Headline features on the Oral B iO Series 9 (£250) include 3D Teeth Tracking using AI – via the smartphone app – to monitor brushing, seven brushing modes including sensitive, ultra-sensitive, whitening and tongue cleaning, it knows when you’re pressing too hard, and when you’re not exerting enough pressure, there’s a colour screen, countdown timer, effort-based emojis and fast charging. Phew.
This smart brush is a slick proposition, but is it all really necessary? Firstly, the AI. This app-based option 3D tracks your teeth as you clean front, top, and back. There are 16 zones in all, and the app will guide you, ensuring each gets a thorough once-over. Chances are, you’ll do this a few times and be very impressed with the results, before forgetting your phone and never opening the app again.
Thankfully, even without the ‘smart’ features it’s great at cleaning teeth. The Daily Clean mode is surprisingly vigorous and if your gums can take it will leave your teeth squeaky. We preferred the Sensitive mode for general use – the results were also superb. We also really appreciated the Smart Pressure Sensor, which flashes red when you’re brushing too hard and white when you’re too soft. Get it to green and you’re applying the ideal pressure. It’s a simple, and logical extension to existing toothbrush tech and works a treat.
Oral B has also gamified – or guiltified, maybe? – the two-minute brush with a countdown timer, and the threat of a moody emoji if you don’t hit the full 120 seconds. That’s right, if you fail on your brushing quest, the LED display will show you just how it feels about your performance. Hit the two-minute goal though and prepare for a rush of endorphins as your toothbrush smiles at you. We jest, but it works, just.
What doesn’t work as well however is the countdown timer. We know it’s there, and it’s nice to have at the end, but to read it, you need to either take the brush out your mouth and spray toothpaste all over the place, turn off the brush to check, or read the tiny text back to front in the mirror.
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