Oral-B Genius 8000 review

How the Oral-B Genius 8000 looks, feels and works

The 8000 along with the slightly more premium 9000 is the best of what is available in consumer toothbrushes from Oral-B, at the time of review.

There a 5 cleaning modes on this model along with a pretty decent box contents, pressure sensor, multiple brush heads a travel case and built-in timer.

Now you may be thinking that many other brushes from Oral-B or other brands comes with such.  Which is fair, but where the 8000 comes into its own needs a little more explanation.

The Genius range of brushes offer Bluetooth connectivity, this is something that has been available from 2014 on select Oral-B brushes, but it has been improved with Genius to take things to the next level.

Pairing with your Android or iOS device via the Oral-B app (download for Android here and iOS here) the new 4.1 version of the app has ‘Position Detection Technology’.

The app uses the front facing camera on your smartphone to track the actual position of the 8000 power toothbrush inside your mouth when in use.  It takes this data and displays this on the smartphone screen, giving instant feedback to highlight and direct you to where you have missed and where you need to clean next.  

The idea and logic behind this is that it is supposed to act like a coach or mentor or be like having a dentist or hygienist looking over your shoulder saying good, bad, brush for longer, you missed a bit.

A study conducted by Oral-B showed that up to 80% of people spend not enough time brushing, particularly spending less time on one zone of the mouth and some 60% did not brush or spent insufficient time brushing their molars (the teeth at the back).  Guess which teeth are prone to needing fillings?!

Thus the motion tracking in the Genius range comes from such studies that identify clearly the need for such.

Whilst it is up for question as to whether Oral-B’s implementation is the best route to go, it is a logical one and perhaps to me the most obvious option as more and more of us have our smartphones on us all the time and often pay more attention to what they are telling us more than other humans sometimes.

Such a shift and education process does require more hardware and attitude to the process of brushing your teeth which should be happening twice a day.

Included with the 8000 is a smartphone holder, which is designed to suction to a flat surface like a mirror.  The adjustable arms on the holder then accommodate the phone and used the device's front facing camera to watch what goes on during the brushing process.

I mentioned in the pros and cons section of this review, the pressure sensor.  Designed to reduce and stop gum and tissue abrasions that are caused by excessive pressure being used when brushing the teeth should you do just this, the triple pressure sensor technology gives a visual notification via the Oral-B app and through the LED SmartRing which illuminates red.  The brush will automatically reduce the head speed and stop the pulsation until the pressure is reduced.

Although not new to the Genius range, another noteworthy and easily overlooked design feature, which is actually scientifically inspired, is the rounded brush head.  Small and compact you can generally get the brush head into all the hard to reach areas of the mouth, which is not as possible with some other brush heads shaped differently.  It is a small but noteworthy thing and only when comparing them side by side and using them will you notice how with an Oral-B brush you get deeper into the mouth and retain a greater level of movement which doing so.

Last and by no means least on the new and different feature is the SmartRing which is a multi colour 360 degree lighting system at the neck of the brush.  Featuring 12 different coloured lights, you can customise the illumination via the Oral-B app. So if you like red, blue or pink, the choice of the colour is yours; but it will still flash red if you brush too hard!

Having now covered these key differences, let's’ look in more detail at all of these and more to see what the brush is really like to use on a day to day basis.

Aesthetically the 8000 has seen some improvements in comparison to the Smart Series which it supersedes and there is clearly a link between the design of the Pro and Genius range, it is distinctly Oral-B.

Slimmed down a little in the profile to the older Smart Series, the Genius has a more uniform cylindrical body, that is larger than that of the lesser featured Pro series which sits below the 8000 in the range.

The physical size is as a result primarily of the larger battery, which will last up to 16 days.

Considering the size and weight of a brush might not be your first thought, but you will likely be surprised by what impact it can have on your overall use and comfort of the brush.  If it is too heavy or awkward to hold then it will leave you less likely to use the brush for the desired time or longer, often cutting short the cleaning cycle.  The 8000 measures and weighs and ergonomically comfortable 24cm tall with the brush head attached and 2.7cm wide and 3.2cm deep and weighs 140 grams.

Made from a robust plastic, the 8000 comes in a white colour finish option only.  The plastic is resilient to the water, bacteria and toothpaste that it will come into contact with.

A fully sealed brush it can be used in the shower, rinsed off under a tap etc without issue.  Don’t go taking the brush for a swim, but it is designed to resist water.

The front of the brush is less clinical looking than models before it, with an increased number of icons that actually makes the brush more practical as icons which become illuminated in use actually show which cleaning mode is activated and running on the brush, although daily clean, the standard cleaning mode is missing.

A break in the plastic body makes way for a tall, essentially rounded rectangle shaped panel.  Within this is a similarly shaped yet smaller rubber pannel in the upper third that has the power button and cleaning mode button.

Below this are icons for the different cleaning modes (well 4 of the 5 available anyway) which is silver or technically platinum in colour which contrasts well with the white that forms the rest of the brush.

What I can’t really get my head around is why there is no icon for the Daily Clean mode.  OK, it is the default mode but why exclude it from the icons and have one for every other mode?

To get going and start using the brush you need to press the power button (the one at the top) and to turn it off for 2 seconds to turn the brush off.  The button requires a firm push, meaning it is difficult to accidentally power on or off.

To change the cleaning mode it is a case of pressing the cleaning mode button (downwards facing arrow) under the power button and continuing to press until the desired cleaning mode is reached and the indicator illuminated.

In the lower third of the panel is a Bluetooth icon, a battery icon made up of 3 bars and then finally the Oral-B and Braun logos in black colour.

On the rear of the brush is a contoured rubber grip which assists when holding the brush for grip, especially when wet.  It is generally smooth to the touch but grippy with a series of indented dots.  Many other models have raised lines on the back here, but the 8000 has a smoother finish which gives it a cleaner and less rough to touch feel.

The base of the brush is sealed, but has a recess into which the prong on the charging stand fits to charge the brush.

On the neck of the brush is where you find the LED SmartRing, the component that can be customised via that app to one of 12 colour options.  My personal favourite is blue.  It illuminates when in use and should the pressure sensor be activated it will illuminate red. You can see the SmartRing in action in this video.

If using the app at the same time as brushing, the screen on the app will also illuminate red and tell you to reduce the pressure should you apply too much to the teeth.  Therefore when using the brush you have up to 3 signals to tell you too much pressure is being applied.  You have the red SmartRing, the message on-screen in the app and the sound change as the motor reduces the power delivery.

Whilst the 9000 is available in 3 colours, the 8000 is available in just 1, white.

All of the accessories provided with the Oral-B Genius 8000 power toothbrush are also white, that includes the smartphone holder, charging stand and brush head compartment.

The cleaning modes available on the 8000 are:

• Daily Clean
• Gum Care
• Sensitive
• Whitening
• Pro-Clean

All these modes, with the exception of Pro Clean are standard cleaning modes found on previous/other Oral-B models, although not all models have every mode.  

The Pro-Clean mode replaces what was known as Deep Clean mode that is available on older models. Pro-Clean provides an intense clean feeling with 3,000 more movements per minute than the more standard Daily Clean mode.

To find out more about each cleaning mode and the best brush head to use with it, read this post which explains the Oral-B modes available.

Typically the cleaning modes last for 2 minutes each and this ties in with what is recommended by Dentists.  The built-in timer has 2 modes, the standard 2 minute or professional.

With the 2 minute timer it signals with a long stuttering sound and a flashing light of the smart ring that the 2 minute brushing time has come to an end.

With the professional mode (came preset out of the box) the quadpacer on the 8000 kicks in.  A short stuttering sound and flashing light of the Smart Ring at 30 second intervals to move to the next quadrant of your mouth.  A long stuttering sound and flashing light indicate the end of the professionally recommended 2 minute clean.

The timer memorises the elapsed brushing time, even when the handle is briefly switched off during brushing. Anything longer than 30 seconds paused and the timer resets

You can change which timer profile you have enabled.  To change this, press and hold the mode button for 2 seconds.  Toggle between timer selection by pressing the on/off button. Confirm the selection by pressing the mode button.  2 LED’s illuminated indicate 2 minute timer and 4 LED’s illuminated indicate Professional timer. More advanced timer options come via the app.

The mouth is made up of 4 quadrants, so you spend 30 seconds cleaning each.  If you are using the app and the tracking, the app will signal to you it is time to move on and where to focus next.

The brush heads provided with the 8000, use an oscillating rotating and pulsating motion as shown in the following animated image.

This is a proprietary technology that helps clean tooth by tooth reaching areas that are often missed.

The dynamic 3D movement helps adapt to your teeth as it oscillates, rotates and pulsates to break up and remove up to 100% more plaque than a manual toothbrush.

Although 3 brush heads are supplied, they are interchangeable and it is advisable to use the appropriate brush head with the appropriate cleaning mode, although any cleaning mode can be used with any brush head.

You need not be limited to the brush heads in the box and you can use any one of the 6 brush heads that Oral B offer as suitable for this brush.  You may need to purchase these separately.

• Gum Care
• Precision Clean
• CrossAction (Supplied)
• 3D White (Supplied)
• FlossAction (Supplied)
• Sensitive

The CrossAction brush head relies on hundreds of bristles that are angled in different directions. It has been scientifically engineered, to ensure the bristles cross over different parts of the tooth surface more effectively than those brush heads that have standard straight bristles.

The FlossAction brush head bristles are not angled, but there yellow are microbristles which are focused on getting deep between the teeth, for a floss like clean.

The 3D White brush head has a polishing cup in the centre of it which helps buff teeth up to give them the dentist shine. It is worth noting the colour of the bristles on the 3D White brush head has changed for the Genius range and may on first glance not look familiar if you are used to the look of these brush heads.

Remember to replace your brush head at least once every 3 months or 90 days if not sooner. You can have the app remind you of this.

An Oral-B brush head will actually fade in colour as it ages giving you another visual indicator that it is time to replace the brush head.

For the best advice on which brush head is right for you we advise speaking to your dentist.

Included in the box with the 8000 is a charging stand, but also a moulded piece of plastic complete with a lid which offers a home to additional brush heads.  This protects them from dirt and dust and gives a safe place to keep them.  Ideal if you use different brush heads or have brush heads for different users.

When the brush requires a charge the last battery bar within the translucent battery icon on the lower third of the brush handle will flash red.  It will then light up when charging.

If the power in the handle is extremely low, the battery will require at least a 30 minute charge.

So to the app and the facilities that it offer.

Version 4.1 is the earliest version of the Oral-B app to support the Genius range of electric toothbrushes.  It brings to the app the position detection technology, improved professional guidance, dental care journey and brushing challenges.

The app will run on most Android or iOS devices.  And uses Bluetooth on your phone and the 8000 brush to pair. Your smartphone must have Bluetooth 4.0 as a minimum for compatibility.

You can download from iTunes here and Google Play Store here.

There is no app for the desktop computer, for Windows phone or other platforms, so do bear this in mind.

The app is very comprehensive with lots of options, too many to go through completely in this review.  It gives you all you need though to not only effectively brush your teeth, but to log the cleans and motivate you.

There are features like integration with your calendar so you can see your days agenda, news, tips and tricks, so you stay interested when cleaning your teeth.  Although for me, on occasions it can be a bit distracting from you ensuring you brush correctly and you may want to customise the settings to avoid some notifications.

Of course the big part of this is the Position Detection Technology which uses the smartphones camera, the app and the brush to show on screen visually where you have and have not cleaned and shows you how to brush all zones in the mouth evenly and equally.  Anyone of any age can use and learn from the feedback it gives.

Whilst a toothbrush plays a vital role in oral hygiene the routine and way in which you clean does too. This app makes it easy to see and represent in real-time just how good, or bad you are doing.

Challenges are presented to you allowing you to obtain a score based on how well you brush and improve your habits. Brush better and for longer and you ate on the road to success. Gain badges for achievements and share socially if you chose.

If you have perfected your technique you may have less to gain than others, but I was impressed at just how well the app works and monitors you clean, it still had areas where I could improve!

The app is deeper and more intelligent too.  You can customise the brush and personal goals through the app gaining more suitable tips and advice along with product suggestions. For example, if you wish to whiten your teeth the app will advise and amend your routine to achieve the goal.  You can choose from the Fresh Breath Gum Health, Plaque FIghter, Whitening and Ortho Care journeys.

The Professional Guidance feature allows you and your dental professional to work together.  Actually share and discuss improvement areas and have your dentist actually program into the app extra brushing time and adjustments to your cleaning modes.

Online backup is another new feature.  With an Oral-B account you can never lose data and even share with compatible services for additional insights and benefits. As the app logs data over the days and weeks, it is impressive to see through the logs how your habits and brushing time changes.

Whilst you need to launch the app each time to use it the brush itself can store the data for up to 20 cleans meaning you do not need to always have the app to hand.

The connection and transfer is fairly reliable and I have yet to run into any real problems. Here's a gallery of screenshots from the app for those that are interested:

Now we have spoken about all the magic that is the Oral-B app for tracking the clean, you need to hold your smartphone at face height to actually do the tracking.  Easier said than done.

You could hold it in your hand, but unless you have some super power that means you can hold your phone perfectly positioned for 2+ minutes and clean your teeth, then the provided smartphone holder will come in use.

Best described as a smartphone holder you would use in a car and attach to the windshiled, used in the home and attached to a mirror!

It is a more clinical and perhaps suitable in white; more fitting for the bathroom scene.  The suction cup will attach to mirrors and in some cases tiles.  Do make sure it is secure before mounting your phone! There is a lever to lock it in place and unlock the hold along with a tab on the suction cup to further release the holder.

The universal holder can be adjusted to fit many smartphones of varying sizes from 58mm wide through to 83mm wide.  If you are using a Samsung Galaxy S series or an Apple iPhone 6S Plus even, it will fit. There is then a full 360 degree rotation option.  For some phones the button placement may interfere with the adjustable arms to do consider this when docking the phone.

It is a practical addition and can move with you.  That said, you are likely to mount it and leave it as I assume you generally speaking brush your teeth in the same location each time.

The particularly house proud may not like the holder on show and I certainly wonder are there other or better options?!

Due to my mirror position and my height, during use the only practical position was virtually in the middle of the mirror, which is a bit daft when you want to use the mirror for other things such as looking at yourself whilst doing your hair.  You have a smartphone holder in the way unless you move it.

It is also worth noting, whilst it is perfectly possible to share a brush handle, the handle can not differentiate between 2 users, so your data synced to the app will be wrong. There is a workaround, but it is a bit of a fudge.

If you want the modern technology but want to keep your own logs, this is where the dual handled Genius 8000 comes in.

The dual handle version comes with 2 handles, but it does not come with 2 travel cases or charging stands. You do get an additional brush head (1 x CrossAction) included in the box.

Even for me, even as someone writing about toothbrushes, I find it hard work and difficult to make set up the smartphone in the holder with the app, a bit of a chore and although it may take 15-30 seconds, that's around 25% of the time I would spend cleaning my teeth.

It is not to say I have not found a routine, but I have not perfected it and am finding that I may use the app more in the evenings than the morning and probably in total using it 50-60% of the time.

But even with a commitment to use it in the evenings, the app needs to work and to a point it does, but I feel the position detection technology and the overall experience is not there yet that everyone will take the time to use it.

There are silly quirks, like the smartphone holder having full tilt and swivel capabilities, but the phone must be perfectly upright for the position detection to track, making the holder mobility almost redundant, but I guess everyone's mounting locations will be different.

You need to be almost statue still for the app to track effectively.

I found it unable to accurately track where I was in the mouth.  It was close but often registered in the wrong area.  I think this was in part by me tilting my head, opening and closing my mouth more or less as I moved around my mouth.

Practice will allow me to get better but how much practice and how ‘still’ should I stay.

As you brush there are fading blue sections on-screen that do act for encouragement and at times the app gets it right, encouraging you to spend more time here and there with a mix of praise and positive feedback.

I found myself at times, spending more time cleaning my teeth (this is a good thing to a point) to try and ensure I got all areas of the mouth. However, in doing so, due to the app not registering the areas quite correctly, ended up spending more time in certain areas of the mouth than others.  This resulted in the app thinking I had done a splendid job when I know I had not.

For those who know they have bad habits could use this combination for a few weeks to learn, understand and perfect their clean, but I see very few really committing to this and using everyday.

Even with my desire to make it work it has taken over a week to get close and I still don't find it perfect.  From that I feel that for most the effort for the reward is too high.

This is perhaps not how Oral-B envisaged or planned the usage, but there is only advantage to be gained from using it occasionally than not at all.  Even a few times a week it reminds you and helps perfect your brushing habits.

The travel case included with the 8000 is said to be premium.  Yes, it is a bit better than the ones I have seen from Oral-B before but it is still a cheap piece of moulded plastic compared to the very desirable travel case that comes with the Genius 9000.

Best described as a white, branded plastic box that holds the brush and two brush heads, is all that is needed but is not as heavy nor does it have the soft touch premium feeling of that supplied with the 9000.