Research and Experience Tell the Oral-B iO Story
The Oral-B iO Series oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush has the research and user experience to back up its claims of enhanced oral health
Procter & Gamble describes the Oral-B iO Series electric toothbrush as the next generation in oscillating-rotating (OR) technology and reports that using the brush results in cleaner teeth and healthier gums. Dental professionals and consumers may be curious about the proof behind those claims. They also may want to hear from individuals who’ve actually used the Oral-B iO.
The Claims
According to P&G, the Oral-B iO Series electric toothbrush provides users with a professional clean feel and includes several technologies to enhance proper use and increase compliance. The Smart Pressure Sensor prevents users from applying too much pressure or not applying enough pressure for effective plaque control while brushing. The built-in position detection and artificial intelligence (AI) enable whole-mouth coverage. Using AI, the Oral-B app can guide patients to achieve their best clean in all areas of the mouth. A 2-minute quadrant timer that pulsates every 30 seconds serves as an additional reminder. To aid teeth cleaning, the electric toothbrush’s frictionless, smooth magnetic drive system transfers energy directly to the bristle tips.
“I recommend it to anyone who has difficulty brushing. When they return for follow-up appointments after using it, I see a big difference."
- Linda Kovary Bell, RDH
The Research
In 2020, the American Journal of Dentistry published the results of a meta-analysis conducted by Grender and colleagues of the effects of OR electric toothbrushes like the Oral-B iO on plaque removal, gingival health, and the transition to a clinically periodontally healthy state (less than 10% bleeding sites) when compared to both sonic and manual toothbrushes. When compared to manual brushes, OR brush users had 50% fewer bleeding sites and 65% of participants using OR transitioned to a clinically periodontally healthy state vs only 20% of manual brush users. This means that OR brush users had 7.4 times greater odds of transitioning to a clinically periodontally healthy state vs their manual brush counterparts.
Many dental professionals might agree that most power brushes will perform superiorly to a manual brush, but what if we compared two power brushes? When OR was compared to sonic brushes, OR brush users had a 28% greater reduction in bleeding sites and 65% of participants using OR transitioned to a clinically periodontally healthy state vs only 51% of sonic brush users. Moreover, when the data is used to calculate an odds ratio, OR brush users had 1.8 times greater odds of transitioning to a clinically periodontally healthy state vs sonic brush users.
A separate 6-month clinical evaluation conducted by Goyal and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of the Oral-B iO series vs a sonic brush when the participants were able to use the associated toothbrush app. The 110 participants in this randomized controlled trial brushed their teeth twice a day with their assigned toothbrush and a standard sodium fluoride toothpaste and were instructed to use the app for the duration of the study. Plaque and gingivitis were evaluated at baseline, 1 week, and 6 months.
Several benefits of brushing with the Oral-B iO and the associated app were revealed in this study. For example, 96.4% of Oral-B iO brushers were categorized as being clinically periodontally healthy at the end of 6 months vs only 81.8% of sonic brush users. This indicates that Oral-B iO brushers have 5.89 times greater odds of transitioning to a clinically periodontally healthy state when compared to sonic users at 6 months. Additionally, participants who brushed with the Oral-B iO showed better whole-mouth gingival health compared to the sonic users, but experienced a disproportionate benefit on lingual surfaces. Oral-B iO users had a 43.9% reduction in bleeding sites on the lingual surface—an area of high plaque accumulation. In addition, the Oral-B iO removed 24.6% more whole-mouth plaque, 25.8% more interproximal plaque, and 61.9% more gumline plaque than a sonic brush.
The User Experience
Linda Kovary Bell, RDH, a practicing hygienist and adjunct professor at Bergen County Community College in Paramus, NJ, first started using the Oral-B iO toothbrush when she participated in a Dental Product Shopper review. She didn’t have high expectations. “I had been using a sonic-powered brush for years and hadn’t really been impressed with Oral-B brushes in the past.” However, after using the Oral-B iO for several weeks, she found that she liked it “1,000 times better.”
Other brushes have built-in technology, but Kovary Bell found the Oral-B iO technology to be vastly superior. “It’s easier to use with the time counting down and the pacer,” she said. “And the light indicator that goes from blue to red to green ensures that you’re using the right amount of pressure.” Her granddaughter is particularly enamored of the “smiley face with stars that appears at the end of brushing,” Kovary Bell said. “It’s very motivating.”
When asked about the benefit of the round brush head, Kovary Bell said that it offers more control. “Especially for children and people with smaller mouths and those with a strong gag reflex,” she explained. “In the past, I thought they were more technique sensitive, but that’s not the case with the Oral-B iO. It just cleans better. If you spend 30 seconds in each quadrant, you’re going to get everything.”
Kovary Bell recommends the toothbrush to many of her patients. “I recommend it to anyone who has difficulty brushing. When they return for follow-up appointments after using it, I see a big difference. Their next cleanings are much easier.
“I love the toothbrush,” Kovary Bell continued. “I threw out my old brush and when I got a promotion for another one, I didn’t even open it. I’m going to continue using the Oral-B iO.”
