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Featuring CrossAction technology for a deep clean, the Oral-B Genius 9000 certainly looks sleek and stylish. Does it clean as well as you’d expect, and what do you get for your money?
First Glance
Oral-B Genius brushes aren’t the very best of the best, but are just a step down from Oral-B's most impressive. In theory, you should get plenty of great features for everyday and more intense cleaning. The Genius 9000 has Bluetooth technology, helping you to make the most of every brushing session whether you’re at home or on the go.
Pros
- Round toothbrush heads with CrossAction technology
- Handy travel charging case, complete with phone holder
- Quadrant timer and pressure sensor to help with better cleaning
Cons
- You need to use the app regularly for the full benefit
- Comes with a 2-pin shaving plug, so you’ll need a separate adaptor
- Battery life not as good as advertised
About the brand
Most people have hard of Oral-B and see the adverts in their dentist’s office. Oral-B is easily one of the most well-known dental care brands. You know that you’re getting a quality product, and that safety is paramount, which can be very reassuring.
Oral-B is a Proctor & Gamble brand. The brand was originally started by a dentist in 1950, though now has a worldwide presence under the Proctor & Gamble umbrella. You’re likely to find that your own dentist sells some Oral-B products, with a wide range of items including floss, toothpaste and mouthwash under the brand name.
Oral-B brushes suit every budget and preference, with the brand behind everything from cheap manual toothbrushes up to state-of-the-art electric brushes with an RRP of £500. When choosing your perfect Oral-B brush, you might need to wade through feature lists and decide where cost exceeds benefit.
An Oral-B toothbrush is one you can trust to be safe and effective. Does the Genius 9000 electic toothbrush live up to Oral-B's good name?
What’s in the box?
Inside the box, you’ll find handy accessories that justify this brush’s high price tag. There’s a smartphone holder that will fix to your wall, and a large travel case that you can use to charge your toothbrush on the go. Watch out, though! Despite being described as a USB travel case, this is actually a power bank with USB connections but needs to be plugged into the mains with a 2-pin shaving plug. If you want to use a standard UK plug, you’ll need to buy a 2-pin to 3-pin adaptor.
The stand for charging your phone at home features storage slots for replacement toothbrush heads. You’ll get four with your new toothbrush, and any other Oral-B toothbrush heads will fit once these need to be replaced. Professionals recommend that you replace your toothbrush at least every three months, and more often if your brush head looks damaged or after a period of illness. With your Genius 9000, you’ll get everything you need to get you through your first year of ownership.
You’ll choose from four different toothbrush colours. Inside the box find black, white, rose gold or orchid purple.
Look and Feel
The Genius 9000 electric toothbrush is one of Oral-B's most comfortable. It features good grip, making it easy to hold even when it’s wet, and is sufficiently weighty without making your arm ache once you’ve been brushing for two minutes.
Four stylish colour options make for a fantastic looking toothbrush, though the rose gold and orchid purple aren’t full-coloured brushes. Whilst the black brush is entirely black and the white brush is entirely white, the rose gold and orchid purple are both still primarily white – the colour itself is only used on the brush’s front plate. Many people will like just a dash of colour to make their brush stand out, whilst others may have preferred something a little bolder.
Effectiveness
The Oral-B Genius 9000 features round, oscillating heads. These are a feature of all Oral-B brushes, and known for their effective cleaning style. The oscillating brush heads get into the gaps between teeth, whilst the small circular shape helps to easily reach those back molars. You can choose from any replacement Oral-B toothbrush heads, though you’ll start with CrossAction brushes that have bristles aimed in different directions for maximum coverage.
For your money, expect excellent cleaning power. This is enhanced if you use the Oral-B app to monitor your brushing, though many people feel that the extra effort isn’t worth it. Using the app may be something of a novelty, fun for a few days but ultimately too time-consuming.
You’ll get to choose from 6 different cleaning modes to personalise your brushing experience. Daily Clean is the standard mode and suitable for most users, whilst the brush also comes with Tongue Cleaning for fresh breath, Whitening, Sensitive, Gum Care and Pro-Clean modes.
Sensitive modes may slightly reduce the cleaning power of the brush, but protect the teeth and gums of those that frequently experience discomfort or pain. Pro-Clean mode is more intense. It should be used occasionally but not for daily cleaning.
Improve your clean by connecting to the Oral-B smartphone app. This works with Genius Series toothbrushes, including the Genius 9000. Connect via Bluetooth for real-time tracking and updates about when to replace your toothbrush head.
Battery Life
Oral-B toothbrushes often have some battery problems. It’s an unfortunate reality that these brushes need to be charged fairly frequently, and it’s often reported that after roughly a year they don’t hold their charge like they used to. You can’t replace an Oral-B electric toothbrush battery, so you might find that after a year or two you’ll need to charge your brush almost every day. Of course, this isn’t always the case and you may get lucky with a toothbrush that lasts for much longer.
Of all the Oral-B electric brushes, the Genius 9000 is one of the better for battery life. It advertises up to two weeks on a single charge, though realistically you’re more likely to get 7 days of solid use from a brand new battery. This may go down to 3-4 days after you’ve used the brush for several months.
You can drag out the life of your toothbrush for a few years if you’re happy to keep it permanently on charge once the internal battery wears down. But, it’s quite an expensive brush to replace when it won’t hold its charge.
Price
The Genius 9000 is one of the more expensive Oral-B brushes, though certainly not the most expensive you can get. You’re likely to pay around £140 for one toothbrush with four toothbrush heads, which is a very fair price with the addition of Bluetooth technology, pressure sensors and six cleaning modes. Replacement heads can be any from the Oral-B range, typically costing around £12 for a pack of 4.
Invalid table id.If a high-tech toothbrush is something you’re looking for, then the Genius 9000 offers good balance between cost and number of features. You’re not paying for too many features you don’t need, though you could probably get a cheaper brush without Bluetooth connectivity and it would still be just as effective.
Using the Oral-B Genius 9000 with clear aligners
Looking after your teeth is incredibly important, but if you wear clear aligners it’s also important to look after your aligner trays. Clear aligners can stain very easily, and being worn in your mouth every day for two weeks means that they can collect some bacteria. Cleaning your aligners every day is essential to keep your gums healthy. Use the Oral-B Genius 9000 to help maintain a bright and shining smile.
To care for your aligners the way they were designed, check manufacturer recommendations. You can use a range of different products to keep aligners in their best condition. Some aligner providers will recommend soap as the best choice for cleaning your aligners. Others will suggest using warm water but making sure that the water’s not too hot. If aligners get too warm they can melt and warp so they won’t fit into place like they should.
Though not all aligners can be cleaned with an electric toothbrush, a vast majority can. Just check the care guide you received with your aligners to make sure that yours aren’t an exception. An electric toothbrush is thorough and powerful, designed to fit into every gap to clean your teeth (or aligners) very well. In most cases, these are the very best tools for everyday clear aligner care.
Final Verdict
The Oral-B Genius 9000 isn’t the cheapest electric toothbrush, but on balance offers good value for the number of features that you get. It misses out on some state-of-the-art technology, like 3D imaging using positioning sensors, but has Bluetooth connectivity and pressure sensors to help you to improve your cleaning habits.
For the price, you get quite a lot. As well as a stylish toothbrush that connects to your smartphone, there are four toothbrush heads in the box. That means that you’ll have everything you need to get you through your first year.
Oral-B brushes are a trusted choice for quality and safety, though they often struggle to match up to competitors with their long-term battery life. The Genius 9000 is no exception, though should start off with a battery that copes for a full week before it needs recharging. In comparison to other Oral-B brushes, a week on one charge is fairly good.
Six cleaning modes should be more than one person really needs. Before buying this brush, think carefully about whether its features are worthwhile. If the smartphone app will be nothing more than a short-lived novelty, and if you’re likely to just use the Daily Clean feature, then you might find that a cheaper toothbrush has everything you really need. The cheaper Smart Series and Pro Series brushes still have the timers and pressure sensors that may be enough for most users.
Be honest with yourself about how much you’ll use the extra features this toothbrush has to offer. If you’re going to be consistent with app use, and if you want a smart travel case because you spend a lot of time away from home, then you’d be hard-pressed to find a brush that offers better value than this. If not, you could save yourself some money.
