Product Review: Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush

After a less than happy experience with another model of power toothbrush, I started using the Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush with some trepidation and skepticism. It only took one brushing to change my feelings on power toothbrushes. After two weeks, I can say I am truly impressed with the Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush.

Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush: My Personal Experience
I am close to obsessive when it comes to my oral hygiene. My routine consists of pre-rinse, brushing, flossing, and a post-brushing fluoride rinse. I have professional dental cleanings on a regular basis. My teeth generally feel clean. Or at least I thought they did. The Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush has taken them to a new level of smooth. My teeth feel pretty much the way they do the first time I run my tongue over them after the dental hygienist declares I am done and can now sit up.

Despite my regular cleaning habits, one section on my teeth routinely gives me problems. This is the back of my bottom front teeth, right along the gum line. No matter how much I brush and floss, the hygienist always has to spend some time cleaning those teeth. I am close to time for a professional cleaning and was able to tell that area needed attention. The Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush has removed everything that had gathered there and that area is now as smooth as the rest of my teeth.

The instruction booklet warns some people may experience gum bleeding during the first two weeks if their gums are not completely healthy. My dentist has always said I have healthy gums and I brush and floss properly, so I was not expecting any problems. While I have not had bleeding, I did experience some gum discomfort during the first week or so, even after switching to sensitive mode. The discomfort was similar to the way your gums feel after you have had a professional cleaning. While brushing, you can feel the bristles work the gum line, so I am assuming the Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush is reaching deeper than I was managing to do with my manual toothbrush. As deep cleaning is a good thing, and my gums no longer ache, I will not count this as a problem or flaw.

The handle is large, but slightly contoured to make it comfortable in your hand. It would likely be too large for early-teens or younger to hold easily. The back of the handle has a section of ribbed rubber to help steady your grip.

The brush heads are large enough to surround each tooth for a thorough cleaning, yet small enough to allow you to clean each back tooth. Brushing is easy, you simply move the brush along, one tooth at a time, and let the toothbrush do all the work.

The only flaw I have found was with assembling the Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide set. There is minimal assembly required; it is just a matter of snapping the pieces of the charging base together and putting the batteries (included!) into the timer. I had problems removing the covers on the charging base and timer. After struggling for a bit, I handed them to my husband. He also had to fight with them. We eventually got them off, but agreed this would be a real problem for someone who had arthritis or other issues with their hands or wrists. The cover to the base moves easily now, but the cover to the timer is still a struggle.

Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush: Features
The Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush includes the following special features:

• Four brushing modes: Clean, Sensitive, Polish and Massage
• SmartGuide timer with wireless remote (more information below)
• Two types of brush heads (more information below)
• Rechargeable battery
• Charging base, with built-in brush head storage
• Ventilated travel case
• Illustrated instruction booklet (10 pages each for English, Spanish and French)
• Quick reference guide

Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush: SmartGuide Timer
The SmartGuide timer is about the size of a small desk or travel clock. It is sturdy and has a thick built-on cover to protect it from bathroom steam and water splashes. When not in use as a timer, it displays the time and doubles nicely as a bathroom clock. The timer sits steadily on a countertop or can be hung from the wall or mirror with the included wall mount and adhesive tab.

The timer has two modes: A plain 2-minute timer that signals the brush when you have reached the dentist recommended brushing time and a guided 'Professional timer' that helps you brush each section of the mouth equally.

The guided display shows a circle divided into quadrants, signifying the upper and lower left and right sides of your jaw. The section you should be brushing flashes for 30 seconds, then becomes solid when you should move on to the next section. Once you have done all four quadrants and reached the 2-minute brushing time, a smiley face appears in the center of the circle. The smiley face winks at you if you continue brushing or massaging until 2 minutes 30 seconds.

The timer signals the brush to do a stuttering motion when the 2-minute mark has been reached (or every 30 seconds during guided display), which allows you to brush freely without having to watch the display.

In addition to timing how long you brush, the SmartGuide timer informs you when you are applying too much pressure (it lights up), which mode is being used by the brush/handle, and when it is time to replace your brush head.

Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush: Brushes
The Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush comes with two brush heads - the Oral-B FlossAction and the Oral-B ProWhite. Both heads include 'smart-chip' sensors. These sensors communicate with the handle and timer to control brush movements based on the chosen brush head, sense when you are brushing too hard, and alert you when it is time to replace the brush head.

The FlossAction head has "micro-pulse" bristles designed to deep clean your teeth. In addition to regular bristles, the head has four small paddle-style bristles that move back and forth. From watching in the mirror, it appears these four paddle-style bristles work between your teeth to provide the flossing action. The instruction booklet recommends the FlossAction brush head for everyday use.

The ProWhite head is used for whitening and polishing. This brush head has a ring of normal bristles with a rubber-looking piece in the center that is reminiscent of the polishing tool used by dentists. The instruction booklet recommends using this brush once per week or daily, if desired.

Switching between brush heads is simply a matter of pulling one off and slipping another one onto the handle. The brush heads can be stored in the back of the charging base or in the traveling case.

Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide Electric Toothbrush: Price
The Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide electric toothbrush has a retail price of approximately $149.00. This price is comparative to other brands and models of high quality electric toothbrushes. Replacement brush heads cost around $20-$25 for a pack of three.