Oral-B goes smart with Pro 2000

For those who are peculiar about their dental health, there are a lot of dental care accessories out there. From crazy looking shapes to weird bristles. While most faithful retro toothbrush serves your needs, there are many-a-times you wished you had an electric one which could take care of brushing without any efforts and in a shorter time. Well, though it’s similar to an electric shaver, it is not as speedy as you think. Older electric toothbrushes were simple rotating bristles that could give you a disastrous sprinkle of yucky toothpaste around your face and the mirror, and could injure you most times.

Oral-B has introduced two electric toothbrushes in India a few weeks ago and the new gadget is far simpler to use, is waterproof, rechargeable and best of all, and is made for safety, healthy teeth and gums. The Oral-B Pro 2000 is a smart rechargeable toothbrush and retails for Rs 5,800. However, one would probably ask a question — why should I spend a huge amount when regular toothbrushes come at almost negligible prices as compared to the electric version? The answer to this is simple and straightforward — dental care. Oral-B claims that ‘the new electric toothbrushes are guaranteed to give you 100 per cent more plaque removal than conventional toothbrushes’.

The Oral-B Pro 2000 is a waterproof, rechargeable electric toothbrush with a few smart features incorporated within. It features a waterproof rubberised handle with three LED indicators, a multi-functional power button and a replaceable bristle head. Packaged with the toothbrush are a single head and a wireless induction charger base, which doubles as a stand. When kept on the stand, it is constantly charging and ready for use.

The rubberised handle has a good grip and houses all the electronics within. New users would find it bulky at initial use, but will soon be accustomed to it in a few days. The unit charges in around four hours and is ready to use for almost four days before going back to the charger — ideal for those travelling for short periods.

The replaceable head needs to be changed once every three months. New heads cost under Rs 1,000 for a pack of two. There are different types of heads also available for those who prefer additional care for their teeth and gums. These include bristles for sensitive teeth, precision cleaning for gums, floss removal, whiteners, tri-zone (large retro-style) bristles and cross-action (that comes bundled with the initial unit). The head unit is simple to replace — simply pull apart the old head and a new head can pressed in. The electric toothbrush can also be used by multiple members of the family by simply changing the bristle heads.

The bristle head does not spin around — it uses a criss-cross action (clock and anti-clockwise) to simulate brushing with a regular toothbrush, but with care and precision. It has a 16-degree angle which oscillates, rotates, and pulsates. The bristles and the main unit are completely washable, just like a simple toothbrush. The entire unit is waterproof and cannot get damaged by water.

The Oral-B Pro 2000 is smart. A red LED on the font lights up when it senses that the user is applying too much pressure on his/her tooth and gums. When brushing, if you apply additional force towards your teeth or gums, the red LED lights up and warns you to release the pressure, hence protecting your teeth and gums, and the unit itself from damage. Additionally, the electric toothbrush has an automatic timer that alerts you to change the position or placement after a certain time has passed. For example, if you are brushing your teeth and are lost in own world, you tend to keep brushing in the same place and forget to change over to another section of your mouth. This happens often when you are still sleepy.

Oral-B’s research showed that up to 80 per cent of people spent insufficient time brushing in at least one zone in their mouth and 60 per cent of people either didn’t brush at all or spent insufficient time brushing their molars. Independent scientific research suggests that it is more important to brush all zones in the mouth evenly, rather than brushing longer time. Brushing incorrectly can result in oral health issues such as tooth decay and even early tooth loss. The Oral-B electric toothbrushes help ensure that you are brushing correctly and are spending enough time brushing each quadrant of your mouth resulting in better oral health. The toothbrush alerts (buzzes) you with a strong vibration (every 30 seconds) to indicate that you have been brushing in the same position for too long. You then have to focus on brushing the next quadrant of your mouth. It also alerts you when you have crossed two minutes of dentist-recommended brushing time.

These smart features are helpful for children, especially when they are learning to brush. The toothbrush alerts the child when he applies too much pressure or if he is brushing in the same position for too long. Lastly, there are two cleaning modes that the Pro 2000 offers. Daily Clean — which is a comprehensive everyday cleaning, and Gum Care — which is a massage mode for gentle stimulation of gums.

The Pro 2000 has a built-in wireless rechargeable battery. It charges on its own wireless induction charging cradle that also doubles as a stand. The induction charger does not need any additional power adapters and is powered directly by 110V – 230V AC power point. Simply place the brush on the cradle and the toothbrush goes into charging more. Two LEDs indicate the power status of the toothbrush when charged, in charge or low battery.

Though the Oral-B is a nice-to-have device, we do found a few portions that were probably ignored when designing the unit. Firstly, the unit should have had a regular micro USB port for charging when travelling. This could help users use their smartphone chargers for recharging the brush. The USB port could have been covered with a water-proof flap to avoid water damage. And lastly, the unit does not have a bristle head cap or cover. This means, you would have no option, but to keep the bristles open and prone to dust, insects and alike. A plastic cover with every head should be considered by the company.

Overall, we would recommend using the Oral-B Pro 2000 electric toothbrush as it sports some really beneficial smart features and ensures a better, healthy oral health. The toothbrush may seem a bit expensive, but the advantages are far better than regular conventional toothbrushes.