Everything in your bathroom is going “smart.” Smart mirrors, smart toilets, smart showers. Even your electric toothbrush promises smart features. The latest electric toothbrushes come with real-time feedback, habit tracking, and AI coaching — all monitored from a toothbrush app.
Leading brands like Oral-B or Philips Sonicare are at the forefront of this change. They pioneered their own apps with each new model adding ever more features. Oclean is now challenging them with app-rich yet affordable brushes in Europe.
It’s hard not to sympathise with the consumer who finds it a little disorientating.
Does any of this make a real difference? Are toothbrushes more than just gimmicks? And how do you decide between the features that matter and those that are there to bump up the price?
We’re cutting through the confusion.
What Makes a Toothbrush “Smart”?
Smart electric toothbrushes aren’t about to pass a maths exam. That’s not what we mean by smart. The term refers to a few key features:
· Real-time brushing feedback alerts you if you miss areas or brush too hard.
· Pressure sensors protect gums by reducing speed when pressure is too high.
· Timer and zone guidance ensure a full two-minute clean across all quadrants.
· Custom brushing modes adjust intensity for sensitive teeth, whitening, or gum care.
· AI coaching offers personalised tips based on your brushing data.
· Progress reports deliver weekly or monthly summaries to keep you accountable.
Smart brushes compile this data and sync it with companion apps via Bluetooth:
· Oral-B app (used with iO and Genius ranges) offers 3D tracking, reminders, and integration with Apple Health/Google Fit.
· The Philips Sonicare app (for DiamondClean and Prestige models) provides adaptive coaching, real-time guidance, and progress dashboards.
· Oclean Care app delivers brushing scores, zone-by-zone analysis, habit reminders, and tailored coaching — often at lower price points than the big two.
Do Apps Really Improve Behaviour?
You might wonder if this really makes a difference? After all, we brushed our teeth just fine before toothbrush apps came along.
Or did we?
Well, actually, it turns out we’ve probably been brushing our teeth wrong all along. Or at least sub-optimally. A 2020 study found that the “plaque index” improved by 8.5% in those using an app compared to 4.7% point in those brushing without an app.
Most interestingly, 50% of participants thought they achieved better cleaning and would recommend the app to others. It helped boost motivation.
The question, of course, is what kind of app is it? The best ones work alongside the toothbrush, using timers, zone maps, and pressure feedback. The Oclean Care app monitors your brushing schedule, scores each brush, and tells you where you’re getting poor or average cleaning. It’s focused on what matters.
By contrast, the Philips Sonicare and Oral-B apps can feel a little more disorientating. Much of the same info is there, but the graphs and data can bombard users who just want the basic facts.
Cost & Value
The biggest difference in the smart electric toothbrush space is price.
Toothbrush apps and smart features often bump up the price considerably. Smart models will usually set you back £80-£300 (€90–€350). That’s a hefty investment for a feature you might decide you don’t like.
For example, Oral-B’s most advanced model — iO Series 10 — costs over £300! Even if you go for a cheaper model, in nations like France or Germany, where Philips Sonicare or Oral-B dominate, respectively, the cost of brush heads soon drives up the overall price.
By contrast, Oclean offers a premium smart electric toothbrush at a mid-range price. The award-winning Ultra X 20 costs just €119.90 — less than half the price of an iO10.
Privacy & Data Concerns
Privacy is a major concern for all consumers. In Europe — over the UK — consumers appear to be even more hesitant about sharing data (as shown by legislation like GDPR). Apps automatically collect this data, linking it to accounts and sharing it via cloud storage.
This is a common practice among industry leaders. And it’s where smaller brands are making headway among the privacy-conscious.
Oclean, for instance, does not collect any data from this app. That means it’s stored locally entirely for your usage — not for any commercial interests.
Convenience vs Complexity
You want to brush your teeth to protect them, but you don’t want it to be a full-time job. Oclean’s strength lies in its lightweight app, simple UI, and that it works offline. It strips back the rewards programmes and complicated features to deliver what you want.
That might not please the most tech-minded consumers, but it’s what most consumers are after.
In contrast, Philips Sonicare and Oral-B offer more complex ecosystems with broader integrations. You can even link up toothbrushes to a family account. That might sound beneficial, but it means more time spent on what should be a 2-minute activity.
What Actually Benefits from Smart Features?
Let’s be honest: not everyone uses smart features. You’re 75-year-old grandmother is unlikely to want to change her lifetime brushing habits.
Here’s who benefits:
· Kids/teens – Gamified apps encourage brushing; Oclean’s scoring system makes it fun and easy to track progress.
· Young professionals – Tech-savvy users value personalised feedback; Oclean’s affordable smart models offer this without the £200+ price tag of rivals.
· Dental patients – People with gum disease or braces benefit from pressure sensors and zone tracking, both built into Oclean’s app.
· Older adults – Often prefer simplicity, though Oclean’s on-handle display reduces app reliance.
There’s also a cultural barrier. In the UK — where Oclean has found significant success — tech-savvy young professionals are highly likely to try and enjoy apps and smart features. The same is true of urban professionals in France or the eco- and privacy-conscious in Germany.
The Verdict
Overall, smart electric toothbrushes and their apps are a good thing. They help children to learn how to brush effectively, and they stop the rest of us from becoming sloppy in our habits.
But that doesn’t mean all smart features and toothbrush apps are equal. Too often, brands hike up prices and add on unnecessary features that consumers end up never using.
Oclean keeps things simple. We’re passionate about new technologies and smart features. But we always keep the consumer in mind — only including something where there’s a tangible benefit.
Explore our Smart Series Sonic Toothbrushes to decide for yourself.
