I’ve been on my oral-care journey for a while now — and actually, to get specific, it’s been more than half of my life. It started with braces at 12, to clear aligners at 27, and to now, with permanent retainers. Each milestone has brought me one step closer to my ultimate goal of having my version of the perfect smile. Throughout my journey, every dentist and orthodontist has preached to me the same thing: A good smile starts with your toothbrush. That’s why when I started using the Oral-B iO Series 5 Electric Toothbrush — I’ve never looked back. Now that holiday gifting is all I can think about, you best believe I’ll be sharing this toothbrush with all of my loved ones who haven’t picked it up for themselves yet.
Let’s start with what makes this toothbrush so special. The toothbrush is built with artificial intelligence (A.I.), so as you use it, it’ll get to know your brushing style through its sensors. This helps keep you on track and guides you to have the best results, every single time you brush.
For me, this has been the key to my journey. As soon as I received my toothbrush, I downloaded the Oral-B app on my phone and entered my dental goal — Whitening. There are five total options, the others being: Fresh Breath, Plaque Fighter, Gum Health, Ortho Care. In the first week of using my toothbrush and connecting it to the app, the A.I. informed me that I wasn’t brushing long enough for the goals I had input. The key time for a thorough brush is two minutes, but I was only averaging about a minute and a half. If you reach the two-minute mark, as it turns out, the brush handle lights up in rainbow colors to celebrate! Thanks to this feature, the app quickly let me know how to improve my brush time and continues to teach me other ways to reach my oral-care targets.
The iO Series 5 is really all in the technology: The toothbrush itself features a round brush head with micro-vibrating bristles that work to deeply clean each tooth in a gentle, yet effective way. Did you know manual brushes leave behind 50% of plaque? These bristles get in between each tooth and clean 100% better than regular manual brushes.
Speaking of brushing, this tool has five Smart Brushing Modes, so you can customize your settings daily based on your desired results. Looking for a whiter smile? Switch the mode to “Whitening.” Gums are hurting? It happens! Opt for the “Sensitive or Super Sensitive” setting. The other two modes are “Intense Clean” and “Daily Clean,” which are the two I personally gravitate toward the most. Normally, I use “Daily Clean” in the morning and “Intense Clean” at night to clear out any debris on my teeth from throughout the day.
Another one of my favorite features is the Smart Pressure Sensor. On the handle, you’ll notice red, white, or green colors, which alerts you whether you’re brushing too hard, too soft, or with just the right amount of pressure. How cool is that?
Now, I know what you’re thinking: This is a great self-care gift, and you’re right! But let’s not be too selfish, after all, as the gifting season is right around the corner. The Oral-B iO Series 5 Electric Toothbrush recently snagged a 2023 Allure Best of Beauty Award, meaning it’s not only approved by one editor (myself), but it’s also approved by my coworkers. For that reason, and all the reasons you just read, I’ll personally be gifting this toothbrush to a few people on my list — because what’s better than the gift of a confident and clean smile? Nothing.
This toothbrush is available on Amazon.com and Target.com for $99.99.
