Oral-B iO10 Review

How the iO10 looks, feels and works

The retail packaging doesn’t affect your use of the iO10, but I do feel it is worth a mention.

The cardboard box, complete with a cardboard inner has a very typical Oral-B design to it. It is fairly consistent with other models. However, there has been a real improvement in the amount of information printed on it. You can actually learn more useful things about the brush prior to purchase.

In the past, it would state 7 cleaning modes, but never say what they were. Now, these are clearly identified. Other features are highlighted and explained too.

The box also has design elements to keep the cosmic theme as well as some embossing and debossing to add to the overall premium feel.

Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the travel case and brush head storage holder are wrapped with a plastic sleeve. It must be to protect them from damage, but they probably don’t need to be.

A stylish and premium looking handle

If you have ever seen or handled an Oral-B electric toothbrush, you will soon see the difference in the design that the iO10 offers.

The handle still has the typical cylindrical profile, but the whole handle looks much more refined. 

On the front of the handle, in the upper half, is an oval panel, within which the power button, display and mode button reside. 

The circular buttons have a very slight concave design and a rubber coating to them. The power button has a power icon on it, whilst the mode button has a solid dot. 

In the lower half of the handle sits a silver/grey Bluetooth logo along with the Oral-B and iO logos in a silver grey colour too.

The side and back of the handle are all smooth to the touch with no notable features.

There is a lack of rubber gripping points that were useful on previous models. Some of the practicalities have been sacrificed for design. Your main textured gripping points are the buttons.

It is worth mentioning here that both the black and white coloured handles have what I think many would describe as a speckled or splattering effect to them.

A couple of people commented how the white specs on the black handle look like residual toothpaste!

The white handle has black speckles on it.

I personally don’t dislike it, but I am not sure I love it.

I had thought this effect would have been part of the smoother touch finish to the handle, but instead, these speckles sit slightly proud giving additional texture to the handle.

Compared to some handles that have vast expanses of rubber grip, this doesn’t. Such a design doesn’t give quite the same in hand secure feeling, but it is by no means slippery.

However, a positive consequence of less grip is that the handle is easier to keep clean. It can easily be rinsed and wiped. You don’t get a buildup of toothpaste residue and grime within the textured surfaces of the rubber, as is the case with other models.

With few exceptions, electric toothbrushes are of plastic construction.

This is because plastic is easily moulded, is very resistant to moisture, and is durable and lightweight.

Although there are no notches on the handle to stop this rolling if laid flat on a countertop, the design and weighting is such that the handle simply does not roll like most other brushes.

Around the bottom edge of the handle is a silver coloured ring that adds a nice design element to the handle. 

There is another, slimmer silver coloured ring at the top of the handle, just below where the brush head attaches. It adds a nice stylish touch.

Below this upper silver ring sits a thin clear panel that runs a full 360 degrees around the top of the handle. This panel is the pressure sensor/light ring. More on this shortly.

On the base of the toothbrush is a continuation of the silver panel that runs around the edge. 

The base has a slightly concave design to it but no recess for the charging stand like most other Oral-B brushes.

The iO10  like the other iO Series handle does feel robust and well built when in the hand in addition to looking great.

It has a colour screen

Built into the front of the handle is an LED colour display.

It will catch your eye and is one of the main differentiators of the iO Series compared to other models.

It isn’t a touchscreen, but that is a good thing as it is more reliable and easier to interact with this way.

It should activate as you pick up the brush, but sometimes you may need to press the power button to wake it up. 

Having a display is, without a doubt a luxury and it is not something that you need. But, it certainly fits with the heir of premium and quality that the iO10 exudes.

What I particularly like about the screen is that you can easily move between and select the different cleaning modes on the brush. Unlike most Oral-B brushes where you get just an icon, you actually get a name/label for the mode. This makes it really clear what you are selecting.

As an added bonus there are small customisations that can be made via the display, which would usually be reserved for the app, if there were no screen. You can change the colour of the smart pressure sensor come light ring around the neck of the brush handle for example. You have 11 different colours to choose from when selecting via the app, but only 6 via the handle.

The display does not allow you to change the order of the cleaning modes, or how long they last. You can’t see how long the brush head has been attached or even the current date and time.

Maybe I am asking too much, but it would be nice if the screen offered a bit more functionality. 

When the brush is active, there is a timer shown on the screen that ties in with the built-in pacer and a nice graphic of a circle that gradually turns blue as you complete the clean.

You don’t get any coverage score via the screen like you do the app.

The iO10 is water resistant

Most toothbrushes, including the 10 Series are designed to withstand the rigours of twice daily use.

Water, wet hands, toothpaste and saliva are all in store for your handle. 

Whilst I don’t suggest trying to submerge the iO10 unnecessarily, the handle is water resistant so a good rinse under the tap and even use in the shower are perfectly acceptable things to do.

7 cleaning modes with a customisable order

The iO10 is the only toothbrush, other than the iO9 to offer 7 cleaning modes. No other brush offers so many.

I will say it first, you don’t need so many modes.

It is highly likely that you will make use of 1 or 2, not all 7. But the choice is there is you so desire.

For the vast majority of users, and I include myself in this, the Daily Clean and Sensitive modes are more than sufficient. Modes like whitening and intense don’t provide any significant benefit to you and there is little to no evidence to really confirm the need for them.

The 7 modes you have available are:

• Daily Clean – Standard mode for daily cleaning
• Sensitive – Gentle, yet thorough cleaning for sensitive areas
• Whiten – Polishing for occasional or everyday use
• Gum Care – Gentle massage of the gums
• Intense – For an extraordinary clean feeling (operated with a higher speed)
• Super Sensitive – Super gentle cleaning for extra sensitive areas
• Tongue Clean – Tongue cleaning for occasional or everyday use

Simply press the mode button, below the display, repeatedly to cycle through the modes and then the power button to select the one you want.

The brush will remain set to the chosen cleaning mode during your brushing session and it will default to that the next time you turn the brush on.

A lot of more affordable Oral-B brushes don’t default to the last mode used. This is a pro to the iO10 in my opinion. It just makes the daily user experience a bit better.

Unlike some models, it is possible to change the brushing mode prior to turning the brush on. 

For those that want to, you can change the order of the modes, or even disable them, if you wish, from the Oral-B smartphone application.

If you want to learn more about the different brushing modes on Oral-B handles, do check out our guide to Oral-B cleaning modes.

A dentist recommended 2 minute timer and pacer

An essential feature of any good toothbrush is a 2 minute timer and pacer. It is something our in-house dentists recommend.

These help encourage us as users to brush our teeth for the 2 minutes dental professionals advise, but also to do so evenly. It is no good spending 2 minutes cleaning all the teeth in the lower jaw and not the top. All teeth need equal attention.

The iO10 of course has this built in as standard.

This is enhanced further with the real-time tracking, which I will cover shortly.

As the brush is turned on the pacer and timer are activated.

However, the exact configuration of the pacer does depend on how you have the iO10 and iOSense charger configured.

The vast majority of Oral-B brushes have their pacers configured to 30 seconds, the iO10 is predominantly configured to 20 second pacing.

Either approach is fine. Both achieve the same end goal, just the time per section and the number of sections are different.

Quadrant pacing assumes 30 seconds in each of these quadrants:

• upper right
• upper left
• lower right 
• lower left

Whereas sextant pacing assumes 20 seconds in each of these sections:

• Upper rear right
• Upper front
• Upper rear left
• Lower rear right
• Lower front
• Lower rear right

If you get the iO10 out of the box and don’t connect it to the app, the charger, WiFi etc, it is configured to 30 seconds.

In almost all other cases it is 20.

This is good, because the zone tracking is based on 6 sections and other iO models are still configured to 30 seconds. Thus the pacer and the zones are out of sync. This is not an issue with the iO10.

When the pacer kicks in you will note a pause in the bristle motion, a change in sound and brushing sensation and in some circumstances a vibration in the handle. This is your cue to move from one section of the mouth to another.

This then repeats every 20 or 30 seconds, until the brush gets to 120 seconds (2 minutes).

You spend 20 or 30 seconds cleaning each section. As you do, you try to give equal attention to the front, back and biting surfaces of the teeth. 

If you do, come the 120 seconds of brushing time, you should have achieved an even clean to the teeth and gums.

You will need to press the power button to turn the toothbrush off, as it does not power off automatically as some other brushes do. Well, it would if you left the brush running for 5 minutes, but I don’t recommend doing so.

As you power the brush off, no matter how long you have been brushing for, you will get an emoji style face appear on the screen. What face it is depends on your brushing time.

Brush for an insufficient amount of time and you will get a sad face. Brush for 2 minutes and you get a smiley face. If you brush for much longer than required you will see a starry eyed smile.

You don’t get alerts or warnings that you haven’t brushed a specific zone sufficiently in the mouth via the display. It seems like an opportunity missed given it is tracking 16 zones as you brush.

Around the world, dental professionals are in almost unanimous agreement that you should be brushing your teeth twice a day 2 minutes at a time. And cleaning in between the teeth at least once a day.

The reality is far too few do, with the average brushing time being just 45-70 seconds in total per day.

If you are guilty of this, you are putting your oral health at risk. The timer and pacer help you surpass the average and achieve the expected.

For those who are interested, here are a few extra noteworthy points.

• You can turn on and off the brush handle vibration when the iO Sense stand is in coverage mode. No option to change when set to brush time.
• Even with the brush handle vibration is turned off, if using the app in real time the vibration still happens.
• The manual suggests the pacing is set to 30 seconds. This only applies (according to my testing) if you haven’t used the iO Sense charger or app. 

You know when you are using the right amount of pressure

I believe that the smart pressure sensor built into the iO Series is one of, if not its best feature. It is so simple, but so useful. I haven’t seen another company come close in what it offers.

Around the neck of the brush handle is a light ring that changes colour depending on the amount of pressure applied.

A pressure sensor is another dentist recommended feature. This is because too many brush with too much force, which can be damaging to the teeth and gums.

The sensor in the iO10 causes the light ring to illuminate 3 different colours, depending on how much pressure is applied.

The colours and what they mean are as follows:

• White – Low pressure – not enough force is being applied. (Colour can be different if set via the smartphone app. White is the default.)
• Green – The right amount of pressure is being used.
• Red – High or excessive pressure is being applied and the force should be reduced.

As best as possible you want the light ring to be lit green for the entirety of the brushing session.

It is a bit like a traffic light system. Green = go, you’re doing well. Red = stop!

Don’t panic if the sensor does light up red. We all apply too much force on occasions. I know I do.

A few seconds here and there isn’t going to cause harm. It is the repeated over use of force that is the issue. Too much pressure can over time cause damage to the teeth and gums, so you just want to pay attention to this. 

The iO will automatically reduce the number of brush head movements in Daily Clean, Sensitive and Intense modes to avoid and help reduce the risk of damage to the teeth.

Rather frustratingly, when you do activate the sensor, by brushing too hard, there is no warning other than a red light. You don’t get a change in the handles vibration pattern like you might if you were using a Philips Sonicare toothbrush.

I have used brushes that even emit a beeping sound when the pressure sensor is activated, this is a fantastic idea I would love Oral-B to implement.

Whilst you should be able to see the coloured light out of the corner of your eye as you brush, if you are using the smartphone application when brushing you will be alerted via the on-screen graphics only when too much force is being applied.

And of course, the iO Sense charger will be lit red.

If you can, brush your teeth in front of a mirror. Not only does this help you clearly see your teeth and how you are brushing them, but it helps you to monitor the light from the pressure sensor.

This smart sensor isn’t exclusive to the iO10. It is available on all Oral-B iO series handles.

It is worth knowing that when using the tongue brushing mode the sensor is not active.

The iO10’s motor is quieter

The brush motor that is sealed inside the handle is the same in the iO10 as in all the other iO models.

Currently, the motor is exclusive to the iO Series. It was specifically designed for it and is different to the motor used in Vitality, Pro and Smart series brushes for example.

It uses a brushless magnetic drive system that directs the cleaning energy to the bristle tips along with what is known as micro vibrations. This offers a really smooth and soft cleaning experience. 

The difference is noticeable compared to existing brushes without the magnetic motor. But, it isn’t a game changer.

A beneficial consequence of the new motor is that it is quieter than existing Oral-B brushes, well a little bit quieter anyway.

Our guide to the quietest electric toothbrushes goes into more detail on how sounds compare, but the iO10 registered at no greater than 64 decibels in our testing.

Compare this to the 74 or 75db that the vast majority register at and this is about 10 decibels quieter.

Dentist clean teeth, every time

I know it sounds so cliche and like an ad for Oral-B (this really isn’t), but I can’t fault how well it cleans the teeth. You get that dentist clean feeling.

My at home plaque disclosing tests have shown how well the brush removes the bacteria. 

I have said it in my other reviews, even though I have tested hundreds of different toothbrushes, I tend to always come back to Oral-B.

This is because the cleaning results are just so good from the oscillating and rotating brush head.

For the record, I have no gripes with the sonic cleaning action. I can happily use Sonicare (and other brands), there is just something that draws me back to Oral-B.

Although there are arguments for both cleaning actions, to date the clinical research has shown how the evidence tends to stack up in favour of Braun. But, there is a need for more research, so it isn’t quite such an open and closed case here. 

Oral-B has posted impressive clinical results with their iO brushes and in the US, the iO Series has been awarded the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, confirming it meets the claims made by the manufacturer.

The different cleaning modes have some bearing on the intensity of the clean, so if you prefer something a little more gentle, the sensitive mode might be for you.

Irrespective of the mode, use the correct technique and you will get a good clean of the teeth and gums.

Small round brush heads come at a cost

One of the appeals of Oral-B is the rounded brush head. It is a touch smaller and can help with positioning the bristles for certain teeth to help get the best brushing results.

When the iO Series was introduced so was a new range of iO brush heads. 

These heads fit only iO brush handles and are not compatible with other Oral-B brushes such as the Vitality, Pro, Smart and Genius Series.

And the heads that fit those models don’t fit the iO Series.

There are lots of similarities between them, but subtle differences too.

The iO heads push onto and pull off of the shaft that extends from the top of the brush handle  

There is no need to twist them to lock them into place. They only fit one way. And it is normal to have a gap of about 1 mm around the bottom.

In the box with the iO10 will be 1 of the iO Ultimate Clean heads.

Replacement heads/refills will cost in the region of £8 per head. 

A typical set of genuine manufacturer original bristles for most Oral-B brushes cost around £3 each.

This re-design may well have been necessary, but I am not sure that the additional cost is.

I don’t understand what justifies such a significant extra spend.

4 different brush head styles for the iO Series

The Ultimate Clean brush head that is provided with the iO10 is one of the reasons it cleans so well.

It has slightly firmer bristles that are angled at 16 degrees to effectively remove plaque from the teeth and along the gumline.

It is not the only style of head available though.

You can choose between:

• Ultimate Clean
• Gentle Care
• Radiant White
• Specialised Clean (also known as Targeted Clean)

The ultimate clean and gentle care are our top choices. 

You can choose the one you prefer, you don’t have to stick with the style that comes included in the box.

You can learn more about the specific differences between each head and why we select each by reading our Oral-B brush heads article.

Notifications when the head needs replacing

It is advised to replace a brush head on average every 3 months.

Using a brush head for longer than is intended can potentially be damaging to your teeth and gums, not to mention less effective in the clean that it offers.

This is because, with repeated use, the rounded tips of the bristles can become uneven and rough, abrading the tooth surface.

The iO10 notifies you in a couple of ways when it is time to replace the head.

One is via the in handle display. And the other is via the smartphone app.

These reminders are really helpful as the brush heads themselves don’t always have fading indicator bristles to remind you.

If your brush head shows obvious signs of wear sooner than this, you want to replace it sooner. It might also be a sign you are brushing incorrectly, perhaps with too much force.

Once you have replaced the head you can reset the alert on the handle or in the app by following the provided prompts.

Oral-B iO Sense 

iO Sense is an evolution of a technology previously known as ‘Oral-B Sense’.

It is essentially a merging of hardware and software to create a better user experience when brushing your teeth.

The original concept with Oral-B Sense was that particular smart toothbrushes would do more than provide feedback via just an app on your phone.

Oral-B made use of the charging stand on which the toothbrush sits to provide feedback via LEDs built into the top edge.

By using different coloured lights at different times, the pattern of illumination would guide you through your twice daily brushing routine.

In many respects, it was designed to be a visual extension of the timer and pacer.

It is a really good concept and another way of encouraging you and I to brush for the recommended time and evenly.

Oral-B did actually build this into the Oral-B Guide and the Oral-B Sense that launched in the USA. 

The pacing was based on brushing 4 quadrants of the mouth for 30 seconds each. Hence the charging stand had 4 lights on the top, one for each quadrant.

A couple of years on and Oral-B has developed this tech further. It works around brushing time, but now also how well you brush. 

30 second quadrant pacing has been replaced with 20 second sextant pacing. The final result is iO Sense and the iO Sense smart charger.

iO Sense smart charger

The key differentiator between the iO9 and 10, is that the comes with what Oral-B labels as the ‘iOSense Smart Charger’.

It is essentially a supercharged charging stand. 

On a quick glance, it looks similar to the magnetic charger supplied with the iO7, 8 and 9. However, it is different.

It is a bit taller and wider.

It has 6 LEDs built into the top of the stand as well as a clock/timer on the front.

Just like the other iO magnetic chargers, the brush magnetises to the stand and can be recharged in around 3 hours.

The power cable is detachable.

The concept behind the smart charger is a good one. It is designed to bring some of the coaching elements found in the smartphone app, to the charger. Thus you don’t have to have your phone with you at the time of brushing to get some additional feedback and insights.

The LEDs on the top of the iO Sense charger illustrate your upper and lower jaw.

You can start brushing in any area of the mouth, how they behave depends on the configuration you have set via the app.

What is key to note here is that each of the LEDs relates to a sextant or zone within the mouth.

Those zones are:

1. Upper rear right
2. Upper front
3. Upper rear left
4. Lower rear right
5. Lower front
6. Lower rear right

During a normal 2 minute cleaning cycle you will spend 20 seconds cleaning each sextant.

The iO10 can track 16 zones, but when not using the app in real time the stand is only monitoring/highlighting 6.

The 2 options available on the charger and the way they work are detailed below.

• Brush time

As you begin brushing the first LED is lit with a blue light.

As the 20 seconds for that section passes, the light fades from a stronger blue to pale blue to pale white and then a brighter white.

This then continues with each LED being lit consecutively until all 6 LEDs have been lit white.

The theory is that by this point all your teeth will have been brushed for 2 minutes in total.

At the end of the cycle, the lights on the stand become more animated for a few seconds to indicate a successful brushing session.

During the brushing session, a timer is shown on the front of the stand to show how much time has elapsed.

Brushing for longer than 2 minutes doesn’t change the LEDs in any way.

• Coverage

As you begin brushing all the LEDs are lit with a blue light.

The LED for the sextant you are brushing will begin to fade from blue, changing to white as you successfully brush the tooth surfaces.

Once the brush feels that you have successfully cleaned that sextant the white light dances a little, indicating you are complete and can move to the next section.

This is then repeated until ideally, all lights are white.

You can move between sextants as much as you please and the LEDs will be lit accordingly.

Whilst you don’t have to follow a strict order it is advisable to do so to ensure an even clean.

If you don’t get a full coverage in zones the light won’t change to white.

Therefore come the end of a 2 minute clean you may find some zones are blue to a pale white rather than a bright white.

You want to aim for all white lights. The more there are and the brighter, the better you have brushed.

At the end of the cycle, the lights on the stand become more animated for a few seconds to indicate a successful brushing session.

During the brushing session, a timer is shown on the front of the stand to show how much time has elapsed.

If at any point the pressure sensor is activated, the lights on the stand turn red to alert you. This means both the light ring on the brush and the lights on the charger will be red.

I think Oral-B missed an opportunity to show on the stand when the correct brushing pressure is being applied.

I am not sure how they could have done this, but perhaps a small green light somewhere would have been good. I think those spending a lot of time looking at the stand they can get that extra reassurance that they are using the correct pressure.

I like that the stand offers an easy way to get at a glance notification and feedback on what is going on.

Whilst the app provides the best feedback, the smart charger is a good alternative and likely more convenient for many when brushing their teeth.

I do fear that for some people it could become obsessive and you end up focusing more on getting lights lit than ensuring the brush is at the right angle against the gumline for example.

Do also be aware that the lights on the stand are not active, if you have the smartphone app open. In this situation, it assumes you are paying attention to the app, not the stand.

Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity

The iO Sense charging stand has both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity built in.

When Bluetooth is used, the stand connects to both the brush handle and the smartphone app.

With WiFi only enabled, it connects to the internet and not to the handle or the app.

Enable both and you have the optimum user experience.

The clock on the front only works when connected to the internet via WiFi. You have the option of choosing between a 12 and 24 hour configuration.

It is advisable to stay within a 5 meter distance from the stand to prevent issues with feedback and communication between the handle and the stand.

You can’t setup the stand without connecting to the app at least once. So if you have no intention of using the app and want to use just the stand, you do at least have to complete the initial configuration via the app.

You also can’t connect just the iO10 to the app without the stand. 

iOSense button functions

On the back of the stand is a single capacitive button that has 2 functions if pressed.

• Low power mode

The stand enters into low power mode whereby all features beyond charging are disabled. 

You need to press it once to activate and again to deactivate.

The activation of low power mode is indicated by the LEDs on the top of the iOsense charger.

• Factory reset mode

Touch and hold the button until the orange light appears on the top of the iOsense charger, then release the button. 

Tap the button once again while the orange light is on, to trigger the factory reset. 

The LEDs spin orange clockwise to confirm the factory reset. All credentials and settings are deleted from the charger. 

iO Sense charging stand works with other iO models

I was able to have the iO Sense stand work with other iO models including the iO9, 7 and 6.

My testing was by no means comprehensive, but it was as simple as having the other iO handles sat on the iO Sense charger at the time of pairing them with the app.

The confirmation of pairing would show an image of the 10 rather than the iO7 I was connecting, but the configuration options were for the 7.

The timer and tracking all worked as expected.

Prior to testing I had hoped it would work with other iO models but wasn’t sure. Now we know.

Although Oral-B has yet to confirm on their own ‘official’ outlets, an employee of the company has confirmed compatibility. Christopher Rose, commented on a YouTube video confirming the stand works with other iO models, such as the 7, 8 and 9. He wrote the code for the iOSense charger.

Sell the stand as an accessory

As a result of the compatibility, I do really believe that Oral-B could and should sell this as an accessory existing iO owners can use with their brushes.

If it was £30 or less, I think many would opt for it given the choice.

What makes it appealing is the at a glance feedback. 

You do get this with the smartphone app, but there’s the need to have your smartphone out in order to see it. Not everyone has or wants their phone with them all the time.

As a parent, I know during the morning routine I haven’t really got the time or the desire to whip my phone out and check how well I am brushing. Having it integrated into the stand is easier, because the stand is just there.

Bluetooth connectivity & the smartphone app

All of the iO Series brush handles offer Bluetooth connectivity. 

This means you can connect the iO10 to your smartphone, using the free Oral-B app for Android and iOS, and get insights into your oral care routine.

It is what some might call a ‘smart toothbrush’.

As a general rule, we don’t recommend smart brushes. This is because you don’t need them to achieve a good clean. 

Not to mention they use more resources and can be more expensive.

But, some people, maybe yourself, might like the idea of getting more information on how you are brushing and being alerted to insights and patterns within your routine.

If you are going to pick a smart brush, this is one of the best, without question.

The principle of the app is to educate and encourage people like you and me to take more control and ownership of our oral health.

If we can learn what we are doing well and where there are areas for improvement, we can make the appropriate corrections before problems arise.

Changes and improvements to the app are being made all of the time, this is the beauty of such a toothbrush. But as it stands you can customise the order of the cleaning modes, set specific oral care journeys, see the battery status, change the colour of the light ring and track how long you have been using a particular brush head, amongst other things.

When brushing in real time, you get a very different screen setup, with useful information.

Not only will you be able to see where you are brushing, you can see which cleaning mode you have selected and how long you have been brushing for. 

The screen will change when you are applying too much pressure and more.

Real time 16 zone/3D teeth tracking 

All bar the Series 4 within the iO range have the ability to track the position of the toothbrush whilst in your mouth.

Sensors in the handle relay the orientation of the brush back to the app in real-time, which turns the data into on-screen visuals.

The idea being it helps you to learn what areas of the mouth you are and are not brushing well, so that you can take corrective action, either immediately or the next time you brush.

Based on how well you brush, you are given a score.

This score, along with other bits of brushing data are presented in a dashboard that you can take learnings from.

The app looks to build up an average score and understanding of your habits, but you can drill down into individual brushing sessions.

Even if you use the brush at times without the app, the handle will store some of the data and sync this with the app next time.

Without getting into too much minute detail, the whole system is very clever. Conceptually it is a very good idea and with serious commitment, some will gain a real benefit.

However, the big benefit here with the iO10 over and above the other brushes is the level of detail the tracking offers.

Only the Series 9 and 10 track 16 different zones in the mouth. These zones are all the tooth surfaces. So this looks as follows:

• Upper rear right
  • Front surface
  • Biting surface
  • Inside surface
• Upper front
  • Front surface
  • Inside surface
• Upper rear left
  • Front surface
  • Biting surface
  • Inside surface
• Lower rear right
  • Front surface
  • Biting surface
  • Inside surface
• Lower front
  • Front surface
  • Inside surface
• Lower rear right
  • Front surface
  • Biting surface
  • Inside surface

Whereas the other iO brushes that offer real-time tracking, monitor just 6 zones. Those 6 zones are:

1. Upper rear right
2. Upper front
3. Upper rear left
4. Lower rear right
5. Lower front
6. Lower rear right

These are the 6 zones the smart charger feeds back on. The iOSense stand isn’t displaying info about all 16 zones.

When using the smartphone app, the screen is configured in such a way that you can clearly see which of the 16 zones you have and have not brushed.

16 dotted zones sit in the centre of the on-screen display in a circular formation. As each zone is brushed correctly, that dotted zone disappears until no dotted zones remain and all the teeth on the large visualisation turn white.

When only 6 zones are tracked, you can essentially spend all the time cleaning only 1 of the surfaces within that zone and the brush will still consider the zone brushed. 

The extra detail in the tracking can pick up on more specific, but important improvements needed in your brushing routine.

Of course, with any toothbrush, iO series or not, you want to be giving fair attention to all of the 16 zones so you have an even clean to the teeth and gums.

Thus, to master your technique the Series 10 does have that bit extra to push you to make sure you are making the correct contact with all surfaces.

But, how much difference this really makes in everyday use, is a bit subjective.

The real-time tracking and app aren’t perfect

I would be lying to you if I said everything was perfect with the app and the tracking.

I do genuinely stand by the fact that it is better than the 6 zone tracking, because you naturally feel compelled to brush better. It is a more effective motivator.

But here are some of the key problems.

• You need to be committed to making improvements

To get the improvements you want, you really have to work hard at making the necessary changes. We need to train ourselves and potentially break habits of a lifetime.

Essentially you have to be prepared to correct your mistakes. This might sound obvious, but it is easy to acknowledge your error, but not actually correct it. This requires a lot of commitment and perseverance.

Sadly, I think many will struggle and will give up, potentially at the detriment of their oral health.

If you have brushed for over 2 minutes already in an attempt to get the on-screen visuals to turn bright white, but you don’t manage it. Will you continue to brush for longer to get that perfect coverage score? 

Even as someone who tests such products, I don’t regularly use the apps outside my testing.

Yes, in part because I know my brushing is good, but I wouldn’t say I am perfect all the time.

Getting my phone out to check just doesn’t feel natural. To others, it might.

If I struggle to be committed and preach the importance of such, can you?

I don’t want to be negative. I genuinely think the idea here is admirable, but you can likely see why I think it is clunky and difficult to use.

This is where the iOSense charger comes in.

It is another, different prompt to encourage you to do better, for your own benefit. Because it is just there it is harder to ignore.

• Best results are achieved when using the app at the same time

The brush can be used with or without the phone. You don’t have to use the app at all if you don’t want to. It would be overkill to have a brush like this and not make use of it though.

Inevitably there will be times when you don’t have your phone with you or it is not practical. This is fine. The stand fills that gap to a large extent.

But, to get the benefit you really need to commit to using the app as it shows more data that you can act upon.

Data will be retained by the brush and synced to the app next time you use it, if you don’t use the brush and app at the same time. It will store a lot of data, but it just isn’t the same digging into it and trying to make corrections later.

• The tracking isn’t that accurate 

The tracking works, but it is far from perfect. 

Some sessions seem better than others, but I will often have the app register a different zone to the one I am actually brushing, which is far from ideal when you are trying to get a perfect coverage score.

There too can be a noticeable lag/delay in the visuals. You expect a little bit, but at times it is much more pronounced and makes the whole user experience a little more jarring and less fluid.

On quite a few occasions I was having to brush for 2 minutes and 30 seconds plus to achieve a full set of white teeth on the app or the iOSense stand.

• No guided brushing

This is not a massive issue, but one I think would help users get a more consistent result.

You can brush your teeth in any order you like for as long as you like. Great. 

But, if you had to follow a set pattern for a set time and the app didn’t essentially move on until such time as that section was complete then I suspect coverage scores and brushing times would be better than the less strict configuration available presently.

• It doesn’t show when you are using insufficient pressure

The app, as well as the pressure sensor will alert you when you are using too much pressure.

But, given the iO10 is clever enough to also highlight when you are using insufficient pressure, you would think that the app would alert you to this too. No such luck. This seems a bit of an oversight in my opinion.

• Once you have made the improvements, you probably won’t want to track

If you have a terrible routine and habits this brush can aid improvement. But what about when you have mastered it?

Let’s assume you have got a pretty accurate brushing score every time for the last 3 months. The motivation to use the app inevitably wears off.

Yes, you can periodically log a few sessions to ensure you are still doing the right thing, but have the value and benefit gone?

Or have you had your value by this point because you have now mastered your technique?

• You can achieve similar results for a fraction of the price 

You don’t need a smart toothbrush to perfect your routine.

Yes, it could help, but you could save a lot of money by buying a more affordable toothbrush without the tech and instead learning the correct approaches from other sources.

Get personalised recommendations and tutorials from your dental hygienist or watch some of our oral care videos that show you how to brush correctly.

With a few minutes of your time and several brushing sessions where you really put into practice what you have learnt, you can achieve the same results.

And lastly, this is more of a notable inconvenience rather than an issue, but what do you do with your phone when you are brushing your teeth?

It is of course personal preference, but when using the app in real-time I felt like I should hold it in front of my face so I could see it properly. This meant holding it in my hand. 

It would be nice if Oral-B included some form of phone stand to hold your smartphone securely when you are brushing. This way you don’t have to hold your phone for the full 2 minutes. It is likely more secure and less likely to come in harm’s way. For £800 is it too much to ask?

A toothbrush you have to update

Believe it or not it is possible to update the firmware of your toothbrush, like you might a phone or a computer.

It sounds slightly mad, downloading and installing an update for your brush, but this is the reality of the situation now.

They don’t come through very often and when they do, they are simple to install. They usually take just a few minutes.

When an update is available you will be notified via the Oral-B app.

Updates can bring new features as well as improvements to the tracking and other parts of the connected experience.

Power2go travel case – charge your toothbrush inside

Included with the Series 10 is the Oral-B power2go travel case.

Hinged on the left side, it is a hard plastic case that holds a single iO handle and a single brush head. It doesn’t hold 2 heads like most Oral-B travel cases.

As the name sort of implies, the power2go case means you can actually charge the brush inside. You need to use the same proprietary power cable that the iO Sense charger uses.

Be aware, that there is no battery in the case. The toothbrush will only be charged when the power cable is connected to the case and power outlet.

The adapter is a bit frustrating. It is a bit bulky. Oral-B has overlooked (possibly intentionally) the more convenient USB connectivity that would have made this travel case considerably more practical. It is such a shame. 

The lack of USB charging isn’t new. I would suggest the need for it is exacerbated with the introduction of the Sonicare 9900 Prestige. That travel case puts the iO’s to shame really.

Upgrading the travel case would have helped differentiate the 10 Series a little more.

But, complaints aside, it does what it is supposed to do.

It is pretty durable and better quality than the standard cases you get.

Alongside the travel case, you get a brush head storage compartment/refill holder included.

It consists of a rubber/silicone base which is flat so it sits on a countertop. On top are 2 raised nodules onto which iO brush heads can be placed. 

An opaque plastic lid or cap if you prefer can then be fitted over the top to hold and protect the heads. It is ideal for storing on a countertop or as a way of transporting heads. 

There is a vent in the holder to allow air to circulate so the heads can dry.

This actually overcomes the travel case issue of extra brush heads to some extent, even if it is another item to carry.