Oral B iO 9 Review

As dentists, we know that the evidence shows that electric toothbrushes are better at cleaning than manual toothbrushes. Therefore, it is important that when we speak to patients we make this point to them and also have some idea of toothbrushes we can recommend. This short review will provide you with more information on the features of the Oral B iO 9, the good points and also some disadvantages of the brush.

The Basics of the Oral B iO 9

In the standard box, you get:

• The toothbrush body
• One toothbrush head
• A travel case
• A wireless charger

There are currently three colours available – White Alabaster, Black Onyx and Rose Quartz.

This toothbrush is a significant change from previous Oral B toothbrushes – in design, mechanism and features. One key change with the mechanism is that this Oral B iO 9 uses a magnetic drive system that provides gentle micro-vibrations when brushing. This leads to a quieter, more comfortable and better clean.

There are 2 buttons on the front of the brush – one to switch the brush on and off and the other allows you to navigate through the cleaning modes and settings. The Oral B iO 9 also has seven cleaning modes – this is more than any previous model. These include daily clean, sensitive, whitening, gum care, intense, super sensitive and tongue clean.

This toothbrush also had a smart pressure sensor. This is a unique feature that highlights optimum brushing force. Many patients are advised to use an electric toothbrush to minimise abrasion damage on teeth due to brushing tooth hard. As a result, many electric toothbrushes have a pressure sensor in that stops the user from pushing too hard. However, no other toothbrush has a pressure sensor that tells the user when they are pressing with the correct amount of force. The Oral B iO 9 does just this. This is extremely informative to the user.

There is a high-quality LCD display on the front of the brush that lets you look at your settings and cleaning modes. In addition, the Oral B iO 9 connects to your phone with Bluetooth to their app. This allows you to record your brushing routine and identify your brushing habits. However, the biggest bonus of this is 3D tracking. The Oral B iO 9 is able to give you real-time feedback on your phone to demonstrate your coverage whilst you’re brushing as well as where you may be brushing too forcefully.

The Good

Some of the features that I really like about this toothbrush:

• Smart Pressure Sensor – I find this extremely helpful. When I initially starting using this toothbrush, what I thought was the right amount of force to be brushing with wasn’t actually correct. As a result, I have adapted this. Similarly, patients who use too little force because they are worried about brushing too hard, will definitely benefit from this feature.
• Quieter and lighter – With the new micro-vibrations and magnetic drive system, the toothbrush definitely seems a lot quieter and lighter.
• Improved design – The overall design is very sleek and they’ve removed the rubber on the back of the toothbrush. This was typically there for grip, however it very quickly gathers mould and is difficult to clean. With the new design, the Oral B iO 9 is a lot easier to clean. The LCD display is also sleek and provides useful information and motivational tools to help the user.
• Quick charge and longer battery life – The charging time is significantly shorter than previous models (usually around 30 minutes) but, more importantly, the charge lasts a lot longer. I usually get 2 weeks worth of regular use from it before I need to charge it again.
• App – For those who want to do the most they can in terms of oral hygiene, the 3D tracking and information on the app is really helpful. I, personally, do not use it as I find it a bit cumbersome but for others it may be a little gem.

The Bad

Some of the features that I think could do with some improvement with this toothbrush:

• 3D tracking – The 3D tracking is a great feature to have but it isn’t very accurate and it is a little delayed. This means the information you are getting isn’t quite what you want. It’s still a great feature but needs some work.
• Different toothbrush head – The new magnetic drive system is great but it means the toothbrush heads are completely different to previous models. Therefore, you will not be able to use any old toothbrush heads on this brush. Additionally, the toothbrush head is bulkier than other models and so it may be harder to get this to posterior teeth.
• Price – This is probably the biggest problem with the Oral B iO 9. The iO 9 at full price is around £500, which is quite a lot for an electric toothbrush. The brush is often on offer, for example Amazon often have it at 50% off. However, I still feel this is a bit high when you can get other models for a significantly lower price, such as the Genius or Smart models.

Summary of the Oral B iO 9

The Oral B iO Series 9 is an excellent toothbrush. It has some great features including the smart pressure sensor, the improve design and the app. However, the main disadvantage is the price tag associated with this toothbrush. Many patients will probably get sufficient success from other Oral B products, including the Genius and Smart range.

Recommended Links

• Cochrane Review Electric Toothbrushes vs Manual Toothbrushes
• Oral B iO 9
• Oral B Smart
• Oral B Genius

*I have no affiliation with Oral B and the opinions in this review are my own. Facts in this review are correct as of the time of writing.