Oral-B iO 8 review: Max cleaning with a little help from AI and IoT features

Price: Rs 15,999Colour: BlackIn the Box: iO 8 Handle, magnetic charger with 2-pin plug, 1 brush head, travel case, travel refill holder   How do you say no to those scrumptious sevaiyyan on Eid, or that killer kaju-katli on Diwali, and that pleasant plum cake on Christmas?  All too many people give in to the allure of these sinful treats and with the growing number of health experts and apps, you can keep up your wellbeing. But one thing that most of these health and fitness apps and experts overlook is oral hygiene.   One mustn’t forget that teeth are your gateway to these sinful pleasures and keeping great oral hygiene not only elevates the sensory experience but also fosters good health. Great oral hygiene starts with three main components – brushing, flossing, and rinsing. And when it comes to the toothbrush, finding the right one could be more painstaking than having to choose a right pair of gloves. After all, the market is aflush with hundreds, if not thousands, of options and almost every one of them is recommended by 99 per cent of dentists. So, what if you could instead buy one toothbrush that could be adjusted to your fangs and choppers?   The Oral-B iO toothbrush does exactly that and much more. Underneath the shell of an electric toothbrush, the iO comes armed with a host of AI and IoT features that guides you to brush the right way with the right amount of pressure.   Housing a round brush head designed for professional cleaning, the Oral-B iO 8 features a linear magnetic drive system which the company claims effectively directs the cleaning energy to the point of every individual bristle and integrates round brush with gentle micro-vibrations for better plaque removal. The iO handle, on which the brush head mounts, houses a lot of smartness too – the power button, mode switch button along with a coloured display to access modes, battery status and a pressure sensor ring at the top. Right from the handle, I was able to switch between the six smart modes including the daily clean, sensitive, gum care, intense clean, whitening, super sensitive.   When brushing, the 2-minute timer starts automatically and it gives a short vibration every 30 seconds to move to a different quadrant of the mouth. For gum protection, the smart pressure sensor ring illuminates in red when too much pressure is applied while brushing and in green when the pressure is just right.   The Oral-B iO connects with the mobile app that detects the areas where I have been brushing. It suggested I properly brush the ones of the sides and back of the teeth, where the plaque builds up the most. This experience has been insightful and has improved my brushing habits including focusing more on the sides and reducing the amount of pressure I applied. Looking at the app during the brushing session has its perks including the timer and real-time information on the areas I missed while brushing, a reminder to clean the tongue, and floss, but I was not always game for this. Thankfully, I was able to use this electric brush without pairing it with the app. The app shows historical data too – including the brush time, coverage and too much pressure applied. I was also able to set up a reminder for replacing the brush head within the app. And then there are dental care journeys too. For instance, the ‘Plaque Fighter Journey’ gave me the option of completing the challenge in 4 or 6 weeks. And once selected, it gave me a schedule of my morning and evening routine which included a daily clean of 2 minutes along with tongue cleaning, mouthwash in the morning plus floss in the evening.   An electric toothbrush means it needs power. And for this, Oral-B has added a saucer-sized charging pad that has to be placed on a flat surface. Mostly because the brush attaches without wires and even a light wobble throws the brush down. This electric brush takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes for a full charge, which lasted me about 10 days of brushing.   In my 3-weeks of usage, I am so much impressed by its performance that it has made it to the top of my list of recommendations and gifts for friends and family.