Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Electric Toothbrush

Disclosure – Oral-B provided Blog of Dad with the Genius 9000 for the purpose of review, and for inclusion in the 2018 Father’s Day Gift Guide. All information presented below is my own thoughts, based on my experiences with the Oral-B GENIUS 9000.

Call me strange, but I like visiting the dentist.

The reason for this is that I have never really been given a reason not to like it. I have never had a filling, or any other painful work done (the orthodontist on the other hand… let’s just say I still haven’t gotten over braces as a kid). What I like about the dentist is the ultra-clean feeling that lasts for days afterwards.

Of course, my lack of dentist-induced pain comes down to equal parts good oral hygiene and dumb luck. My genetic makeup seems particularly resistant to tooth decay.

While you can’t do anything about genetics, you can give yourself the best opportunity to avoid painful dentist experiences by carefully looking after your teeth. Although it’s no guarantee that you will avoid the drill, it’s surely worth a go…

The Oral-B GENIUS 9000

Manual toothbrushes are okay. I’m not about to start rubbishing them, after all, they got me well into my 30s without so much as a single filling. That being said, I’ll never go back. Not now that I’ve experienced the difference that the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 can make.

The GENIUS 9000 is brilliant – the difference in clean between it and a manual toothbrush is tangible. The thing that I most enjoy is that I get that ultra-clean feel in my mouth after every brush. It’s similar to that feeling I enjoy after a dentist visit. I won’t say it’s exactly the same (for starters, there’s no fluoride treatment), but it’s close enough to leave me extremely satisfied.

So what makes the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 so good?

3D Cleaning Action

At the heart of the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 is a powerful motor that drives the 3D cleaning action. 3D refers to the way in which the head oscillates, rotates and pulsates. This combination works together to provide a deep and thorough clean that is thoroughly satisfying.

Oral-B claim that the 3D cleaning action is able to remove up to 100% more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush, and my experience is that this is hard to argue with. My teeth feel noticeably cleaner after brushing with the GENIUS 9000. This is especially noticeable when I brush my tongue against the rear of my bottom teeth. They feel polished, and that feeling lasts all day long.

Cleaning Modes

The GENIUS 9000 offers a range of cleaning modes. These include: Daily Clean, Pro Clean, Sensitive, 3D White, Gum Care, and Tongue Clean.

This range of modes allows the user to customise the GENIUS 9000 to their own personal needs. People with sensitive teeth will appreciate the slower speed of the Sensitive setting. On the other hand, users who crave that ultra-clean feeling will appreciate the high-powered Pro Clean.

After a bit of experimentation, I settled on the Pro Clean. The feeling afterwards is hard to beat – I really do find it similar to the dentist-fresh feeling. Even now, after a couple of months with the Oral-B GENIUS 9000, I still marvel at how clean my teeth feel.

Gum Care and Tongue Clean are two other settings that get a semi-regular workout. The gentle gum massage is pleasant, and may be beneficial for overall oral hygiene.

Tongue cleaning is another often overlooked aspect of good oral hygiene, so it’s good to see a setting included on the GENIUS 9000 to assist with it. Again, the setting is designed to make tongue cleaning a pleasant and comfortable experience. My tongue certainly feels cleaner after using this setting.

Timer

I have been guilty of rushing my tooth brushing. When time is short in the morning, a quick once-over can seem to be a justifiable short cut. However, it really isn’t a great idea. Oral hygiene is important!

The Oral-B GENIUS 9000 lives up to its genius name with this simple, but effective, inclusion. The timer can operate in two ways – it can be set to vibrate after two minutes, or it can be set to Professional mode. In Professional mode, the GENIUS 9000 vibrates and the smart ring flashes every 30 seconds. This is used to signal that it is time to move onto the next quadrant of your mouth, ensuring an even amount of time is spent cleaning every part of your mouth. It’s incredibly simple, yet a brilliant idea for improving teeth-brushing habits.

I use the Professional mode and I love it. It ensures I never rush through my brushing and I diligently break my brushing into quadrants. Often, Hannah grabs her toothbrush and brushes alongside me. This is a great way for her to begin understanding the length of time that should be spent brushing teeth.

If I have to briefly turn off my GENIUS 9000 (say, to help Hannah get started), the toothbrush remembers where I was up to.

Pressure Sensor

This is another great feature and again, it gives credence to the GENIUS name. The Oral-B GENIUS 9000 senses when excessive pressure is applied. Upon sensing such pressure, the GENIUS 9000 lights up red and the motor speed reduces. This is important, because research suggests that overbrushing teeth can be harmful.

I find that I tend to activate the pressure sensor once or twice per brush. It is a quick and simple reminder to adjust my positioning. It’s simple, but brilliant.

Brush Heads

There are a range of brush heads available for the Oral-B GENIUS 9000, to suit the needs of just about every user. They include: CrossAction, FlossAction, 3D White, Sensitive and Trizone. The GENIUS 9000 comes with the first three brush heads, so you can try them out and get a feel for which one is right for you.

FlossAction

I started with the FlossAction head. I chose it because I have a running joke with my dentist. Basically, I walk in and we make small talk about family. She then asks me if I have been flossing regularly and I laugh, then she laughs, then she dies a little bit on the inside and tries in vain to convince me to floss before the next visit.

The FlossAction head has micropulse bristles that are designed to remove plague from the interdental areas. A word of warning to those who have never used an electric toothbrush before – this head takes a little… getting used to.

The first couple of times I used it were intense. My teeth felt like they were getting a solid beating and I wasn’t really sure that an electric toothbrush was my thing. However, after I got used to the sensation, I came to appreciate the full glory of the Oral B GENIUS 9000. The feeling of complete mouth cleanliness was unlike anything I had ever felt from a toothbrush before!

I don’t know for sure how good a job the FlossAction head is doing. I’ll have to wait until I next visit the dentist to really find out. Perhaps I’ll tell her I have finally started flossing and see if she can spot the ruse. Then again, I don’t want her to fall off her chair from the shock of that statement. Perhaps it’s better to be upfront and see what she thinks.

CrossAction

Oral-B describes the CrossAction head as their “most advanced brush head”. Unlike the FlossAction and 3D White head, the CrossAction is purely made out of bristles. The innovation lies in the angles of the bristles, which are said to be designed for a precise clean. As well as being the most advanced head, it is also probably the best place to start for those new to the electric toothbrush, as it looks and feels most similar to a standard brush.

3D White

The 3D White looks similar to a standard brush head, except in the middle there is a special polishing cup. In the manual, Oral B states that the purpose of this cup is to “naturally whiten teeth”. It is important to note that children under 12 years old should not use this head.

I haven’t used this head very much yet, but I do like the idea of a brush head that can help to whiten my teeth. As a consumer of black coffee, I’m acutely aware that my teeth are not quite as pearly white as I would like them to be.

All of these heads are readily available for replacement in supermarkets and chemists. They have Light blue indicator bristles that show when the head needs replacing. Cleaning your teeth for two minutes each time, twice a day should result in needing to replace the heads within three months.

Smartphone App

A smartphone app for a toothbrush? Surely not!

It’s true, and it looks to be packed full of useful tips and features to help the user achieve an even better clean. I say “it looks”, because unfortunately I have not been able to pair my phone with the GENIUS 9000. After some investigation, it turns out that Android 7.0 has some bugs that just will not let it play nicely with the toothbrush. Unfortunately for me, my phone is stuck on 7.0, with no update in sight.

That’s a shame, because I really want to try the app to see what further improvements I can make to my brushing. My teeth already feel much cleaner, so I’m genuinely intrigued as to what extra the app can offer.

If you, like me, are stuck on Android 7.0, don’t worry. The app is a handy extra, but it isn’t integral to the day-to-day operation of the GENIUS 9000. I have been able to function perfectly well over the past couple of months without the app, and I have definitely seen the benefits of brushing with the GENIUS 9000.

Stay tuned, as soon as my phone is capable of playing nicely with the GENIUS 9000, I’ll be back to update this review. For now, watch this informative video by Oral-B to see all the benefits that the app has to offer…

Battery Life and Charging Travel Case

The battery life of the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 is excellent. A full charge takes about twelve hours and that enables up to 12 days of regular brushing. A battery level indicator on the GENIUS 9000 lights up to inform the user of current battery level and a red light flashes when the battery is low.

Charging is easy and designed for safe use in the bathroom. There are no exposed connections on either the handle or the charging dock.

The charging travel case is a game-changer for those users who travel. It is a sturdy and rigid case that feels tough enough to withstand a few knocks in transit. The real genius of this case is that it doubles as a charger for the toothbrush AND your smartphone. That means one less adaptor to take with you on work or holidays, just take the appropriate USB cable for your phone.

Final Thoughts

The Oral-B GENIUS 9000 isn’t cheap (RRP $349 AUD), but then again, neither is visiting the dentist to get a filling. If the GENIUS 9000 can contribute towards a healthier mouth, then I would say it’s money well spent. If the price of the GENIUS 9000 still bothers you, search around for some specials. At the time of writing I found it available under $300. You might also consider the Oral-B GENIUS 8000. It isn’t quite as fully featured as the 9000, but still offers an outstanding teeth cleaning experience.

For me, there is no going back. I’m an electric toothbrush convert and the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 offers outstanding cleaning capability. My teeth have never felt so clean as they do now – it is as close to the ultra-clean straight-from-the-dentist feeling as I have ever achieved from a toothbrush.