Oral-B Genius X review
Taking care of your teeth is important, yet it can be tricky. You can brush too hard or too soft, too often or not often enough. Also, the amount you spend on each quadrant of your mouth and the way you move your hand can diminish the effectiveness of your brushing.
Oral-B says they have the solution with their Genius X rechargeable electric toothbrush. It’s equipped with artificial intelligence that, according to the company, “recognizes brushing habits and adapts to give you the best results,” and claims to remove up to 500% more plaque than brushing manually. If you also use the Oral-B app when you brush, you can learn how to properly brush your teeth.
We decided to test the Oral-B Genius X to see if it really could live up to the marketing promises: Can this electric toothbrush improve your dental health? Here is what we found.
How we tested the Oral-B Genius X
The tester we chose to try the Oral-B Genius toothbrush had never used an electric toothbrush. They brush their teeth twice each day using a manual soft or extra-soft toothbrush. The rest of their tooth-care regimen includes flossing daily, tongue scraping and using mouthwash as needed along with the occasional use of whitening strips.
Due to an accident, our tester broke or lost several teeth. The extensive surgery resulted in a severe gum infection. That infection caused gum recession, bleeding and tenderness when flossing.
Our tester used the Oral-B Genius electric toothbrush twice each day for several weeks and documented their experience to gauge how well it performed.
What is the Oral-B Genius X?
The Oral-B Genius X is a rechargeable electric toothbrush. It has built-in artificial intelligence that can help coach you to adopt a better, more effective way to brush your teeth. The angled bristles and round head make it easier to brush every part of each tooth so you can remove more plaque. The electric toothbrush also has six different operating modes that allow you to customize your teeth cleaning to your individual needs.
How to use the Oral-B Genius X
The Oral-B electric toothbrush should have sufficient charge to use right out of the box. If this is not the case for you, simply charge the unit for approximately 30 minutes before using. While the toothbrush is charging, the battery light will flash. It takes roughly 12 hours to fully charge the Genius X. We found a full charge to be sufficient for over two weeks of regular brushing — which makes this toothbrush great for traveling.
Pairing the Oral-B Genius X with the phone app was possibly the easiest Bluetooth connection we’ve ever made. After downloading and launching the app on your smartphone, all you have to do is press the power button on the toothbrush and click “Connect” on your phone screen. The phone automatically recognized the toothbrush, and there were no connectivity issues.
According to the instructions, you should wet the brush before applying toothpaste, and wait to turn on the Oral-B Genius until it is close to your mouth to minimize splatter. Carefully guide the brush head from tooth to tooth, spending a few seconds on each tooth before moving on. Brush the outside surface of your teeth in one quadrant of your mouth. Then, brush the inside surface and the chewing surface of your teeth. This should take roughly 30 seconds. Repeat this process for the other three quadrants of your mouth.
It is important to use the Oral-B app when brushing your teeth. As you brush, you can watch on your screen to see the regions of your mouth turn from blue to white, indicating the area has been satisfactorily cleaned. We quickly found that we spent the most time brushing the right upper quadrant of our teeth and neglected the lower left quadrant. In effect, using the app gamifies the act of brushing your teeth to make it fun. Our hope is that, over time, this app will help eradicate bad brushing habits to improve our overall dental health.
Key features of the Oral-B Genius X
The Oral-B Genius X is a high-tech electric toothbrush that is packed with convenient features. The unit has three brush heads and comes with a travel case to make transport easy. There is a lighted ring around the top of the rechargeable handle that changes colors to let you know when you are applying too much brushing pressure, while the six brushing modes (Daily Clean, Pro Clean, Sensitive, 3D White, Gum Care and Tongue Clean) allow you to choose the precise type of cleaning you desire. When used with the Oral-B app, the smart brushing technology can train you to properly brush your teeth, and the lithium-ion battery lasts over 2 weeks with a full charge.
Other best electric toothbrushes
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6500 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
This electric toothbrush has a pressure sensor. If you press too hard when brushing, it will begin to pulse. The brush head replacement reminder ensures you’ll always know when it’s time to change your brush. It also has a built-in timer that lets you know how long you should spend brushing each quadrant of your mouth.
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Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 Professional Flossing Toothbrush
This combination electric toothbrush/water flosser is up to two times as effective as traditional brushing and flossing. Using this flossing toothbrush can help reduce plaque while improving the health of your gums. The unit offers high and low toothbrush settings as well as quiet operation, and features 10 water flosser pressure settings.
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Oral-B Vitality Floss Action Electric Toothbrush
If budget is your primary concern, Oral-B has an option for you. This affordable model features a head that rotates from side to side to help reach those hard-to-brush areas. It has a built-in timer and is compatible with a wide variety of brushing heads.
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Oral-B Genius X price
While the Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush has a retail price of $279.99, it is typically available for $219.99.
Where is the Oral-B Genius X sold?
The Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush is available at Amazon.
Oral-B Genius X benefits
We felt that the Genius X electric toothbrush made a noticeable difference in the health of our teeth and gums. It left our teeth feeling like they were sparkling while our gums were nicely stimulated. Another benefit is the app, which helps train you how to properly brush your teeth and makes it clear where you’re lacking when it comes to brushing. It also makes brushing your teeth fun. We loved that the battery lasted two full weeks, and that the unit comes with a small case, so the toothbrush is easy to bring along when you travel.
Oral-B Genius X drawbacks
The higher price of this electric toothbrush can be an obstacle that keeps people from giving it a try. This is unfortunate because the toothbrush has a positive impact on the overall health of teeth and gums. A few users felt that the tracking while brushing was unreliable, but it functioned fine for us during testing. Also, for some, the toothbrush may be a little louder than expected, but it only runs for two minutes at a time, so that shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Should you get the Oral-B Genius X?
If you are serious about improving your dental health, the Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush is a must-have. The price may be a little steep, but the preventive care and coaching this smart device offers has long-term benefits that could potentially reduce the cost of your dental care over the years.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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