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CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble Co. calls its new Oral-B Genius power toothbrush the brand’s “most intelligent” brushing system to date.
Two key features of the Oral-B Genius include the SmartRing (left) and the brand’s Position Detection technology (right) for better brushing.
Unveiled Sunday at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, the Oral-B Genius features Position Detection technology that combines motion sensor technology in the brush and video recognition via a smartphone’s camera to track areas being brushed so that no zone is missed.
Users get instant feedback on the brushing of each area of the mouth via the Oral-B App 4.1, including guidance on pressure applied and duration of brushing.
Those features on the Oral-B Genius, along with the brand’s Oscillating-Rotating-Pulsating technology and the unique round brush head, helps users improve their oral health, according to P&G.
“Oral-B Genius sets a new standard in the industry and will forever change how people approach brushing their teeth,” stated Stephen Squire, global marketing director at P&G. “It is the next big thing after the introduction of the electric brush overall, as it helps eliminate the wrong behaviors in brushing.”
For example, Oral-B research shows that up to 80% of people spent insufficient time brushing in at least one zone in their mouth, and 60% either didn’t brush their back molars at all or spent insufficient time brushing them. The Oral-B Genius’ Position Detection technology senses and recognizes areas of the mouth users are cleaning via sensors built into the brush in combination with the smartphone. Paired with the Oral-B App 4.1, the technology tracks brush position and shows the user how to brush all zones in the mouth equally and evenly, P&G said.
The new brush’s Triple Pressure Sensor technology also helps to prevent excessive pressure during brushing, a key reason for gum tissue abrasions. Some manual users apply brushing forces twices the recommended pressure, according to P&G. The technology protects gums from overaggressive brushing by visually indicating when too much pressure is applied, automatically slowing down the brush head speed and stopping the pulsations. P&G said that with the Oral-B guidance system, up to 93% of aggressive brushers reduced their brushing force, and the time spent brushing with excessive force was reduced by up to 88%.
The smart travel case charges the brush and a USB device, and a removable holder supports placement of a smartphone on a mirror for use with the app.
Duration, too, is a factor in effective brushing, although independent research indicates that it’s more important to brush all zones in the mouth evenly, rather than brushing longer, P&G noted. Even when not connected to the app, the Oral-B Genius’ Professional Timer ensures that each quadrant of the mouth is brushed for 30 seconds to reach the dentist-recommended two-minute brushing session. P&G said people using the Oral-B App brush on average two minutes and 27 seconds, whereas manual brush users brush on average less than one minute.
Meanwhile, Oral-B’s Oscillating-Rotating-Pulsating technology cleans tooth by tooth, and its round brush head gets to areas that are often difficult to reach, the company added.
“We made a commitment to digitally connected brushing two years ago, and to date we have received almost a million downloads of the Oral-B App,” Squire commented. “We have built upon that solid foundation to reinforce our position as the world’s leader in oral care technology with the evolution of our intelligent brushing system, the Oral-B Genius.”
Other features of the Oral-B Genius, developed by designers at Braun and with input from dental professionals, include a stylish, smart travel case that charges the brush and a USB device, such as a smartphone, with one plug for any voltage, making traveling easier; a removable smartphone holder to support placement of a phone on a mirror to ensure optimal use of Position Detection technology while brushing; and the SmartRing, a 360-degree lighting system with 12 colored lights that allow users to customize their brushes via the Oral-B App. The brush’s lithium ion battery also brings a longer battery life, giving users at least two weeks of brushing between charges, P&G said.
The Oral-B Genius is slated to become available in select markets starting in July. The Oral-B App 4.1 will be available in July on iTunes and Google Play.