SymplBrush review – the best mouthpiece toothbrush to date

Design, usability, clean & general use

To better describe how SymplBrush differs from its competitors, I have broken this part of the review up into several sections.

The idea behind SymplBrush

As you will have seen, SymplBrush, isn’t your regular toothbrush.

It is part of a growing range of products that look to conquer the category of mouthpiece toothbrushes.

The name is really quite clever. It is a play on the word ‘simple’ and ultimately this is what ‘SymplBrush’ is trying to do. They want to make toothbrushing simpler for the user.

A good oral hygiene routine doesn’t need to be complicated.

We have for a long time advocated that if you follow the steps below you will be on track for a healthy mouth.

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Brush for 2 minutes each time
• Use the correct brushing technique
• Spit after brushing, don’t rinse with mouthwash or water
• Clean between the teeth once a day, with interdental brushes (floss or water flossers are an alternative)

If you’re willing to brush for two minutes, twice daily, existing products like the regular toothbrush are hard to beat. 

But the reason SymplBrush exists is because dental professionals have been telling patients to brush for two minutes twice daily for years - yet very few people actually do. 

Statistics show that on average people are brushing for just 45-70 seconds per day. And we know that many are not following the other steps in this routine.

A large proportion of a dentist's day can be spent fixing the consequences of brushing too hard, or not brushing long enough.

SymplBrush has taken the approach of developing a product that fits in with existing behaviors. Theoretically, it helps those brushing incorrectly to achieve better results. 

With SymplBrush, not only are the bristles already aligned at the perfect angle, each individual tooth surface is actually being brushed for longer than it would with a regular manual or electric toothbrush, despite the cleaning mode being just 30 seconds long.

Why SymplBrush can't replace a regular toothbrush yet 

SymplBrush is the best of its kind. The cleaning results can be very impressive. But my testing shows that SymplBrush isn’t yet ready to replace a regular manual or electric toothbrush for the vast majority.

This is because you need to use the correct technique to get the best results. This means it isn’t quite so simple after all.

Placing SymplBrush in the mouth and leaving it there for 15 seconds per arch is not enough.

As you brush, you need to move the bristles from side to side in a small circular motion. Biting down onto the bristles gently also helps.  

One of the common selling points for automatic toothbrushes is that they are easier to use than a regular toothbrush. They are implied to be less technique sensitive.

In my opinion, because you need to master the technique with SymplBrush, you might as well master the technique with a regular manual or electric toothbrush.

I would argue the technique for a standard electric toothbrush is easier to perfect than the technique required for SymplBrush.

When you then consider that it costs 3-4 times more than a good electric toothbrush, it becomes very difficult to justify this as an alternative.

Of course, a big draw is the reduced total brushing time.

SymplBrush cleaning results

The cleaning results achieved by SymplBrush are impressive. It surpassed my expectations.

But, the results are not perfect. Particularly if you have not mastered the technique of using this automatic toothbrush.

I definitely achieved better results after 14 days of use than I did after day 2 or 3. This is because I had learnt how to use the brush correctly.

To demonstrate the cleaning results I used plaque disclosing tablets to highlight the plaque on my teeth. 

Plaque is highlighted a pink/purple color by the disclosing agent. The aim of toothbrushing is to remove plaque.

The following images show before and after shots of my teeth.

As you will no doubt see, the results are not perfect. Areas of my teeth and along my gumline remain purple in color, showing plaque still exists.

But, the results are pretty impressive considering I am brushing for just 30 seconds in total.

After 2 weeks of use and practice, I felt my technique had improved. The results were better, with less plaque at the gumline.

It still isn’t perfect, but there does seem to be an improvement.

Brushing for a further 30 seconds, so 60 seconds in total had a minor improvement in the results, but perhaps not as significant as I might have expected.

My testing is by no means scientific. But, the images provide a good guide of what is possible with this product.

I do believe SymplBrush does a better job at cleaning than comparable products like Y-Brush - but then again, the cleaning time is 3 times as long.

However, as you might expect, the results are not as good as a manual or electric toothbrush, used correctly for 2 minutes. 

A regular toothbrush certainly feels like it works better for cleaning the tightest of spaces in the mouth, such as the very back teeth.

I do not advise switching to SymplBrush as a replacement to the tried and tested manual and electric toothbrush.

If you already do or are willing to brush twice daily for 2 minutes, stick to existing tools.

The Forsyth Institute has conducted a six week clinical study in which SymplBrush users were measured against those using a manual toothbrush. SymplBrush users were 137% better at reducing gingivitis when used twice daily for one minute when compared to the manual brush.  The study also found a 70% greater reduction in inflammatory markers present in patients with gum disease, compared to manual brush users.

These results are impressive, which is more than can be said for V-White, which was determined to be no more effective than not brushing at all!

This must have something to do with the fact that SymplBrush is the product of a dentist, rather than entrepreneurs with dental advisers. The extra insight and experience really appears to play out in the results.

Ultimately, the whole mouthpiece toothbrush market requires more research and investigation, but things are certainly looking up.

Some people can benefit from SymplBrush now

If you don’t have a good oral care routine and struggle to brush twice daily for 2 minutes each time, SymplBrush could help you. It could potentially reduce the amount of plaque and clean the teeth better than you are doing so already.

The benefit is that it is covering more tooth surfaces at the same time and positioning bristles at ideal angles.

It is targeted primarily at those whose total brushing time is 70 seconds or less per day.

But, and I stress, this is not the solution.

Don’t buy SymplBrush thinking you can get away with brushing for less time now and in the future. The goal is and remains to perfect your brushing technique and brush for the recommended time, with tried and tested tools.

However, it is well worth noting that there is a particular audience for whom this could be a really worthwhile solution, right now.

That is those with disabilities or circumstances that make regular oral care challenging.

Millions of people struggle to brush their teeth and need assistance, whilst others can’t tolerate regular brushes. Some may go without regular brushing due to the difficulties they face.

Of course, there are many different circumstances and we still advocate for traditional tools where possible, but SymplBrush could potentially offer a lifeline for some people.

I feel this is particularly the case if disabilities mean the other option is no brushing at all.

Our article dental care advice for people with disabilities looks at this topic in a bit more detail. 

How SymplBrush looks, feels and assembles

The retail packaging is fairly minimal and simple. I like it.

The downside is there is no information on the box that explains the product and what it offers. It works well for an online environment. It would catch the eye on a shop shelf, but you wouldn’t learn anything about the product itself.

The actual box is comparably sized to most other electric toothbrushes and there is a big focus on recycling and sustainability.

An outer sleeve wraps around the main cardboard box. Inside, the main components of the kit are individually packaged.

There are 2 main parts to SymplBrush, the handpiece and the bristles. These connect together to create the toothbrush.

The handpiece comes in 2 color options, turquoise and white or red and navy blue.

I have the turquoise variant. You can see how this color adorns the upper third of the brush handle, whilst the lower 2 thirds are white in color. 

With the other variant, the red is in the upper third and the blue in the lower 2 thirds.

It is a nice touch and adds a nice design element to the handle.

The 2 colors tie in with the 2 pieces of the plastic body that appear to come together to form the handpiece. There is a tiny line that runs between the 2 colors and creates the smallest of breaks within the handle.

It has a very minimalistic design to the handpiece. The front and back are essentially flat with curvature to the sides of the handle. There is the main power/function button on the front. In the exact same position on the rear is a dimple in the body that aligns with the magnetic stand that comes supplied.

At the lower edge of the handle is a circular LED panel. This is present on both front and back. This gives feedback on the battery charge status and indicates the correct brush position whilst you are using it.

The handpiece measures 3.3cm wide x 2.5cm thick x 12.7cm tall (without the mouthpiece). This creates a handle that is a little taller than my hand when wrapped around the handpiece. It is a nice comfortable size.

Although there are no rubber grips, that combination of squared and rounded edges means the handpiece doesn’t feel slippery in hand.

The base of the handle is rounded and home to the charging port. There is no cover over this port, but it is recessed slightly. The design creates a slight lip which does technically allow the handpiece to stand upright on a countertop. Although it isn't very stable when stood up like this.

I do have concerns about exposed charging ports. They do potentially make the toothbrush vulnerable to water ingression and possible product failure. But, to be honest, recessing helps. I have not come across any users who have actually had a product fail as a result of this type of design.

The positioning and orientation of the brush should rarely lead to water making its way into the port.

Within the handpiece itself are all the electronics required to make the brush function, including the motor and rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.

Extending from the top of the handpiece is a very small shaft that locks into the mouthpiece that fits onto the top of the handpiece.

When powered on this shaft rotates a full 360 degrees and is responsible for actually moving the bristles within the mouthpiece.

The bristles/brush head is actually made up of 2 pieces, both white in color. I will cover this in more detail shortly. But, essentially you have bristles within a white plastic U shaped frame.

The head twists onto the handpiece and locks into place. It does not push on and pull off like most other toothbrush heads.

You need to place the brush head at 90 degrees to the right side of the handle itself, push it down slightly and then twist 90 degrees in a clockwise direction. It then locks into place. 

Once together it looks like a really smart toothbrush. The shape, colors and overall profiles work really nicely together.

With the largest mouthpiece fitted, the toothbrush is 17.8cm tall and 8cm wide.

It is actually relatively lightweight too at 95 grams.

You don’t get an instruction manual in the box on how to use this product. Instead, there is a QR code that directs you to the following video. This tells you a little about the brush and shows you how to use it.

How the cleaning modes work

The handpiece offers 2 cleaning modes, they are:

• Guided
• Manual

Guided is the main mode that you use. It is the first mode available on the brush. Just press and release the button to activate it. It lasts for about 35 seconds in total. You actually spend 15 seconds cleaning each arch (upper and lower) but there is a pause of about 5 seconds to allow you to move the bristles between the arches.

Manual mode allows you to brush for as long as you like. You have to press and hold the power button the whole time. So, if you want to brush for 10 seconds or 100 seconds, you can. Just press and hold the button for as long as you like, as you brush.

There are some important things you need to know about guided mode and also how to get the best results from the brush.

When using the guided mode, you want to ideally start with the top arch.

Place the brush in the mouth and move it more towards the right side of your mouth.

Press and release the power button.

The brush will begin immediately. 

One half of the ring will be lit with a white light. This isn’t the easiest to see unless you are brushing your teeth in front of a mirror. After 7.5 seconds the brush stops briefly.

This stops the bristles moving and changes the sound of the brush.  

This is your cue to move the brush to the left side of your upper arch. 

The brush will begin again automatically and the other half of the light ring will now be lit.

After another 7.5 seconds (15 in total), the brush stops again. 

It is now time to take the brush out the mouth, flip it over and place it over the bottom arch of teeth.

Move it to the right side and the brush will begin again automatically. The LED ring will have one half lit. 

After another 7.5 seconds the brush will stop. 

This is your cue to move the brush to the left side of your lower arch. 

The brush will begin again automatically and the other half of the light ring will now be lit.

Once complete, the brush will stop and the brushing session is now over.

As you brush each quadrant for 7.5 seconds, you want to gently move the brush from side to side in a soft circular motion.

To get better results and make sure all areas of the teeth are brushed, it is recommended that you use a moderate biting force on the brush head.

So, if the bristles are on the bottom teeth, you bite down with a small amount of pressure from the top teeth.

SymplBrush has a pressure sensor built-in. It is not visible. Nor does it vibrate the handle when activated, like a Sonicare toothbrush might. But, if you apply too much force, the brush will pause until such time as the pressure is relieved.

How the brush heads work

With the starter kit come 2 different brush heads or mouthpieces, whatever you wish to call them. 

There is a smaller 76mm set and a larger 81mm set. 

It is not a one size fits all approach like most other products of this type.

SymplBrush acknowledges that even with 2 sizes, these will not suit everyone, but suggest 95% of adults will be catered for.

As it stands, this is not designed for children and there are no kids brush heads available.

I am very pleased with having this choice. I found Amabrush and Unobrush too big and very uncomfortable with their one size only approach.

For me, the smaller 76mm seems to be about perfect.

Now these mouthpieces are essentially made of 2 pieces.

Do refer to the hands-on images if you can as these do a better job of demonstrating the intricate design.

Essentially you have a white plastic cradle. This forms the outer frame. Into the frame clips the bristles.

The frame is a U shape, with cutouts in the body that allow the upper edges to flex and bend quite considerably. This ultimately helps with the fit and positioning when in the mouth.

The bristles are a bit odd compared to any other toothbrush in their configuration

Essentially you have a straight piece of plastic with 21 pads of bristles. This plastic has been cut and shaped in such a way that it bends and flexes a lot. This is what SymplBrush calls the ‘living hinge’.

What this means to you and me is that the way the structure flexes allows for a much more comfortable brushing experience and better fit within each of our mouths.

These bristles get placed into and clip inside the white U shaped plastic cradle. 

They clip in and out very easily, but not so easily they pop out when in use.

The design is such that when clipped in, they position bristles at all 3 surfaces of the teeth.

You have bristles focused on the biting surfaces as well as the front and back.

Unlike a lot of mouthpiece toothbrushes that use silicone bristles, SymplBrush uses nylon bristles. 

Without getting into the science, these are the most recommended type of bristles and the same type you find on the vast majority of regular manual or electric toothbrushes.

The bristles are very thin and they are very soft and gentle on the teeth and gums.

It is not clear exactly how many bristles are in each head. It is estimated between 23-30,000 per head. Each of the 21 pads have a number of bristle clusters with varying lengths and angles.

One of the common trends with mouthpiece toothbrushes is the positioning of the bristles. Those bristles aimed at the front and rear of the teeth are typically angled at 45 degrees.

Believe it or not there are multiple different techniques for brushing the teeth. Most recommend angling the bristles at 45 degrees to the gumline. The bass/modified bass technique is the one of the most common approaches taught by dental professionals.

You will notice that with SymplBrush the bristles targeting the front of the teeth are angled at 90 degrees rather than 45. I reached out for comment on this, because it seems unusual.

The response from their CEO was:

The 45 degree recommendation for ‘modified Bass’ is recommended so that people using traditional toothbrushes don’t injure themselves from brushing too hard. Ideally when you brush, you want to engage the shaft of the bristle along the teeth and gums, with the edges coming in as little contact as possible. They tend to be sharp and will cause damage. 

We experimented with angled bristles and found them less effective. When you place the SymplBrush in your mouth, watch in the mirror how they behave. You won’t see many of them at a 90° angle. 

Extensive iteration led us to a design that gives the bristles an adequate freedom of movement so when they face resistance, they flex to engage the tissue at an angle. That’s not because I want the 45° per se, but I want most of the cleaning to occur along the body of the bristle shaft - not the edge. This is a critical aspect of toothbrush design and efficacy. You want bristles to have freedom of movement, but you also want most of the cleaning to come from the shaft and not from the end of the bristle.

Keith Arbeitman - DDS & SimplBrush CEO

Myself and our in house dentist Dr Gemma Wheeler agree the bristles don’t have to be at 45 degrees, although this is a very common brushing approach. But, what myself or Dr Wheeler have never come across is reference to the shaft of the bristle doing the cleaning rather than the bristle tip. The logic certainly makes sense and no doubt the shaft plays a key role. The larger surface area of the shaft should be able to help. Yet, despite all the studies and medical literature, we have read we recall no mention of the importance of the bristle shaft in cleaning the teeth. 

Let me be clear that my hands-on testing is not a scientific or clinical study. I leave that to the experts. I am just giving you my genuine user feedback as a guy having used many different toothbrushes.

I am really impressed with the design and engineering here. There is a lot of flex and movement in the head which I haven’t seen in other mouthpiece toothbrushes.

Yes, the silicone heads in the likes of V-White flex, but you don’t have the same effective nylon bristles.

Y-Brush uses nylon, but the head doesn’t shape to the teeth quite like the bristles do here with SymplBrush.

The flexing and movement means that it fits in the mouth much more comfortably and is much more pleasurable to use.

Now, I would suggest I have an average sized mouth and opted for the smaller 76mm bristles.

I could move the bristles around my top teeth with absolutely no issue, super comfortable, no matter which way I wiggled and twisted the bristles.

It isn’t quite the same story on the lower jaw. When moving the bristles round to the far right and left side I could feel it pressing against the softer tissues at the back of my mouth and causing some discomfort that I wanted to avoid.

Even though the mouthpiece flexes, your cheeks and jaw don’t cause it to flex in quite the same way your hand does.

I think getting the perfect fit is always going to be difficult unless we move to a world whereby we have custom made/sized mouthpieces.

This mouthpiece style toothbrush might not be ideally suited to those with smaller mouths just yet.

I am not saying this lack of movement in the lower jaw affected the cleaning results, I can’t say that for sure. I am just acknowledging it as an issue for myself. 

Despite this, the freedom was much greater than Amabrush or Unobrush and I really felt the bristles making contact with the teeth and the gumline. I can honestly say no other mouthpiece/automatic toothbrush have felt this good to use.

I adjusted my technique a little. Biting down and rocking the bristles up and down, rather than side to side, seemed to help quite a bit. After a couple of weeks I did desensitize a little too, which certainly helped.

When in motion the brush head is offering somewhere between 750-900 movements per minute, depending on how much pressure is put on the motor during each use. This is far less than Oral-B and Sonicare brushes, but considerably more than the manual toothbrush which is around 300 per minute.

After use I certainly didn’t get the same invigorating, just clean feeling as I do with an electric toothbrush. I suspect this might have something to do with the power of a conventional electric toothbrush, and what I am used to. Power certainly isn’t a major factor in toothbrushing.

Of course, the true test is working out just how much plaque it removes. Plaque is the reason we clean our teeth in the first place.

Now, I must reiterate this is not a clinical study and just my experience. The results were better than I expected, but not quite as good as I hoped.

I also do believe this has produced the best cleaning results to date for a mouthpiece toothbrush. 

However, there is a bit of a catch here.

SymplBrush requires you brush for 30 seconds in total, 15 seconds per arch of teeth.

Y-Brush is only 10 seconds in total, so 5 seconds per arch.

It is by no means conclusive, but if you use Y-Brush for 30 seconds (3 times longer than required) I think the results are comparable, but favor SymplBrush marginally.

The bristles for SymplBrush are designed to be replaced every 3 months, like the brush head for a regular manual or electric toothbrush.

Because you get 2 different sizes with the starter kit, by the time you come to replace the bristles, you should know what size you need, be that the 76 or 81mm options.

Each time you replace the bristles you will get a replacement white plastic cradle as well. 

I have raised it with the company that this seems a bit wasteful as I suspect the cradle would outlast the bristles by quite some time. SymplBrush acknowledges this, and are monitoring this ongoing. They require more testing and user feedback to see whether they could potentially replace the cradle less frequently. They would also have to alter the manufacturing process to accommodate this as I understand.

The magnetic stand is a nice addition

The magnetic stand is a really nice addition to the package. 

I haven’t quite seen anything like it before with a toothbrush. The ones I have seen have all been wall mountable. This stand is designed to sit on a countertop. 

Not only does it give a neat mounting solution for the SymplBrush it obviously serves a function.

When you have finished using SymplBrush, rinse the bristles with water and mount it with the bristles facing down. Doing so allows any water, toothpaste and moisture in the brush head to drain away from the handpiece. 

SymplBrush is water resistant, although this has not been officially certified. 

Internal testing with SymplBrush suggests an IP rating of IPX6. So whilst this offers some resistance as you might expect for a product of this type. It is not currently advised to use this in the shower or in the bath and it is why the recommendation is to allow the water to drain away from the handpiece.

The downside is that any residue then accumulates on the countertop or shelf on which the stand is placed.

It would have perhaps been nice if the stand had some sort of drip style tray at the bottom to catch this.  The consequence would have been a much larger and potentially less stylish stand.

The current sand is about 11.5cm tall and 3cm wide. It is quite weighty at 116g/4.08oz. This of course prevents it from falling over.

There is only 1 place on the handle that the stand will magnetize too. The magnets are the perfect strength for what they need to do. Enough to keep it securely in place, but weak enough you can easily remove it from the stand. You will need to hold the stand as you pull the handpiece away.

A small touch I like is that on the back of the handle is a small dimple where the magnet is placed. On the stand itself, the magnet protrudes ever so slightly. When they come together they align perfectly. The design has been really well thought out.

Toothpaste is included, but you can use your own if you prefer

Included in the box is SymplPaste, the company's own toothpaste.

I am not intending to offer a full review of this paste on its own. 

A few key things to note are that it is a 4oz tube (113g) that is fluoride free, vegan and SLS free.

The ingredients are:Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Xylitol, Purified Water, Nano-Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Peppermint Flavor, Methyl Salicylate, Potassium Sorbate.

The lack of fluoride may well be an issue for some and might not meet with approval from many dental professionals. But, it does have nano-hydroxyapatite instead. This is a well regarded alternative to fluoride and will likely be included in more toothpastes over the coming years due to the properties it has. Hydroxyapatite is naturally found within the teeth, so it is bio-compatible. 

The tube comes with a special nozzle that you twist so that you can easily inject the paste into the bristles. This is again a nice touch.

You do not have to use the paste provided, but given it is in the kit, you might as well give it a try. 

It is suggested that you place a small amount of paste on the 2 pads in the upper right and left of the bristles. So, 4 dots in total. Then run a strip of paste through the main arch of the head.

Time will tell, but I think this will result in using a lot more paste than is necessary. Where a regular tube might last 3 months, I can see paste running out sooner with this approach.

You don’t need to apply more paste as you clean each arch. 1 application is enough for both arches.

Something that other mouthpiece toothbrushes have suffered with is the paste sticking within the bristles. You could spend more time rinsing the paste out of the bristles after the brushing session than you did spend brushing. This is not the case here at all. No clumps of paste left in the mouthpiece at all. Perfect.

It’s not ideal for travel at the moment

One of the negatives with SymplBrush at the moment is that it is not the most convenient thing to travel with.

At the time of review, there is no case for the brush itself or the bristles.

Ok, so you could place it in a wash bag and take it with you, but this isn’t ideal. 

The handpiece could potentially be activated. Although it would only run for 30 seconds until it was activated again. 

The bristles could become damaged or pick up some debris. Given the shape and design damage is unlikely and any debris could likely be cleaned off. I am just making you aware. I understand they are looking at this though and no doubt there will be a solution in time.

Whilst electronic products like this are not the best for the planet, there are certainly steps that can be taken to minimize the impact. 

SymplBrush wishes to be as sustainable as possible, although they know it will be difficult to create a perfect system.

SymplCircle is a scheme that SympleBrush are running whereby they accept back the brush, bristles or SymplPaste tubes when you are done with them. 

They will cover the postage and take care of breaking it down and recycling in the most sustainable way possible.

The cardboard packaging that the starter kit, paste and bristles come in are all recyclable at the curbside or at local recycling facilities.