Oral-B Triumph with Smart Guide

Before this, I can't say I've ever considered purchasing an electric toothbrush. After using this one for two weeks, I can't say I'm madly in love with it, but I do like it very much.

The Deluxe model comes with:

Toothbrush
Toothbrush heads (2-one for weekly polishing, one for daily brushing.)
Charging base with brush storage.
Plastic travel case for toothbrush and two brush heads.

The Smart Guide indicates how long you've brushed your teeth. Dentists recommend at least two minutes and the Oral-B Triumph uses this as it's guide. At first, you think two minutes is a long time, especially if you've never timed yourself brushing your teeth. But I've discovered that two minutes isn't as long as you think and it's actually kind of motivational to use the Smart Guide.

Not only does the Smart Guide give you the time, it has a light-up dial that goes through quarter minutes (every 30 seconds) to indicate lapsed time and which quadrant of your mouth you should be brushing. It also uses a graphic image to indicate which mode the brush is in.

The Oral B Triumph comes with two brushing heads, but four heads are available. The two supplied with the brush are the Oral-B Floss Action for daily brushing and the Oral-B ProWhite for weekly polishing.

The toothbrush automatically detects which brush head you've attached and will start in the corresponding mode when you press the on/off switch. The Floss Action head automatically starts in the Clean mode, while the Pro White head will automatically start in the Polish mode. You can manually change modes, with either brush head, while brushing your teeth.

Brushing Modes:
Clean
Sensitive
Massage
Polish

At the end of two minutes, the quadrant circle turns into a smiley face. This is a great addition to help kids brush their teeth for the full two minutes, but I have to admit that adults can enjoy the smiley face as well.

There is also an indication that lights up if you're brushing your teeth too hard. I had to push down harder than I expected, but this is a nice feature, especially for kids.

The timer is also adjustable. You can either use a Count-Up Timer or a Count-Down Timer. Changing the timer is easy. By default, the toothbrush is set at Professional-Count-Up. The Professional Mode uses the quadrant circle to indicate elapsed time and which quadrant to brush, but this option can be turned off. I tried the different settings and found that I like the default settings.

I fully charged the batteries when I received the toothbrush. It's been two weeks and there is still one bar left. The directions indicate a charge will last two weeks and it seems to be holding it well. This is a great feature for people who travel a lot and need to pack light.

I've tried to discharge the battery by running it at times I wasn't brushing my teeth, to review the low-battery icon, but time has caught me up. The Oral-B Triumph does hold its charge well.

Cons:

• Battery compartment on Smart Guide is hard to open. Could be difficult for elderly or those with arthritis.

• Plug-in is bad design, it sticks straight out of the wall.

• Pricey.

Pros:

• Clock easy enough to set.

• Clock has choice of 12 hour or 24 hour time.

• Nice travel case.

• Smart Guide is easy to understand.

• Long battery life before next charge.

• Nice charging and storage base.

• Great for helping kids brush the recommended time.

Bottom Line:

The Oral-B Triumph is a great toothbrush, although it does take getting used to an electric brush if you haven't used one previously.

I do believe the Deluxe Model is slightly over-priced but all-in-all I do recommend this toothbrush. 1.) For people who like electric brushes. 2.) Elderly people who need extra help, and 3.) For kids who need motivation to brush their teeth.

Would I consider buying this toothbrush in the future? I was skeptical at first, but yes, I would consider a future purchase.