Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect Review: a high-tech toothbrush that actually feels like a dentist clean

I’ve been using the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect / iO Series 7 for a few weeks now, brushing twice a day, after coming from a basic older Oral-B electric and sometimes a manual brush when I was lazy. When you see the price of this thing, you kind of expect it to brush your teeth and file your taxes. So I went into it a bit skeptical, especially with all the fancy marketing about apps, micro vibrations, pressure sensors, and whatever else.

First use, I’ll be honest, it did feel different. My teeth had that smooth “just got back from the dentist” feel that my older brush never really gave me. Not life-changing or anything, but clearly a step up. The head is round like other Oral-B brushes, but the way it vibrates and oscillates feels more controlled and less aggressive than the old clunky models. I didn’t feel like my fillings were about to rattle out of my mouth, which is nice.

At the same time, it’s still a toothbrush. You’re standing at the sink for two minutes, drooling foam, watching a timer. The app and the screen make the whole thing a bit more nerdy, but the core question is: does it clean better and is it worth paying this much? For me, the answer is mostly yes, with a few caveats around price and how much you care about smart features.

If you’re coming from a manual brush or a very old electric, this feels like a solid upgrade. If you already have a decent mid-range electric toothbrush, the jump is smaller and the value depends a lot on whether you’ll actually use the app, the pressure sensor, and all the modes. It’s not perfect, but in terms of pure cleaning and comfort, it does its job very well.

Let’s talk about the part that hurts a bit: the price. This brush is not cheap, especially at full retail. I personally think at full price it feels a bit high for what it is, even if it’s very good. If you catch it on sale (Prime Day, Black Friday, etc.), it makes a lot more sense. Several people in the reviews mentioned they grabbed it at roughly half price, and I agree that around that level it feels like a solid deal. At full price, it feels more like you’re paying a premium for the smart features and the fancy design.

In terms of what you get for the money, you do get: strong cleaning performance, a comfortable brushing experience, a smart app that can actually help fix bad habits, a charging travel case, and two heads to start with. The thing to keep in mind is the ongoing cost of replacement heads. The iO heads are more expensive than standard Oral-B heads. If you follow the usual 3-month replacement rule, that adds up over a couple of years. So you’re not just buying a pricey handle once; you’re committing to higher running costs.

If you’re coming from a manual brush and you have gum issues or plaque problems, I can see this paying off long term in fewer dental cleanings or less work at the dentist. But that’s only if you actually use it properly twice a day and maybe follow the app at least at the beginning. If you’re the kind of person who forgets to brush at night and doesn’t care about the app, you’re probably overpaying and could go with a cheaper model like the iO 3 or even a non-smart electric.

So in my opinion, the value for money is good if bought on sale, average at full price. It’s a high-end toothbrush that behaves like one, but the jump in price compared to mid-range electrics is bigger than the jump in real-world benefit for some people. If you like gadgets and care about your teeth, you’ll probably be happy. If you just want something that vibrates and cleans better than a manual, you can spend less and still be fine.

The design is clearly meant to look like a modern gadget, not a cheap bathroom tool. The black handle with the small display definitely gives off more "smart device" vibes than the older chunky Oral-B models. The handle is slightly slimmer than the older electrics I had, and the weight feels balanced – not too top-heavy even with the head on. You can comfortably hold it without your hand getting tired during the 2-minute cycle.

The display on the handle is small but actually useful. You can cycle through modes, see a basic face icon after brushing (happy if you hit the time, neutral if you cut it short), and check battery status. It’s not a full smartphone on a stick or anything, but it’s more practical than a plain LED that just blinks. The interface is simple enough that you don’t need a manual to figure it out – a couple of clicks and you’re set.

The pressure light ring around the neck is well done. It changes color depending on how hard you’re pressing. Too soft, too hard, just right. It’s easy to see even in a dim bathroom. Compared to older models where you only had a red light when you were pushing too hard, this one is more nuanced and actually helped me realize I was over-brushing some areas and under-brushing others.

One downside: the glossy parts of the handle do pick up toothpaste splatter and fingerprints quite easily. You’ll find yourself wiping it every few days if you like things looking clean. Also, the black color looks nice but makes dried toothpaste more visible than on white handles. Not a deal-breaker, just something to know if you’re picky about how your bathroom gear looks. Overall, the design is practical and modern, not just for show.

The battery life on the iO Series 7 is decent. For me, brushing twice a day for the standard 2 minutes, I got around 10–14 days before needing to recharge, depending on how often I played with the different modes and the screen. That lines up roughly with what other users report. It’s not the longest-lasting brush on the market, but it’s good enough that you’re not constantly hunting for the charger.

The magnetic charging base is actually pretty nice in daily use. You just drop the brush on it and it snaps into place. No fiddling with pins or weird angles. It also charges fairly quickly – a few hours gets you back to full. There’s a clear battery indicator on the handle, so you know when you’re getting low. I usually just top it up when it hits one bar instead of waiting for it to die completely.

The kit also comes with a charging travel case. This is handy if you travel often for work or weekends away, because you can charge the brush in the case instead of bringing the base. That said, the downside is that it uses a proprietary cable and not USB-C. So you have to remember that specific cable when you travel. If you forget it, you can’t just borrow any random phone charger. That’s a bit annoying in 2026 when most gadgets are moving to USB-C.

Overall, the battery setup is practical and reliable, but not mind-blowing. It’s good enough that you don’t think about it every day, which is honestly what you want. The magnetic base is convenient, the travel case is a nice extra, but I do think they missed an opportunity by not going with USB-C. For this price, that would have made more sense.

On the comfort side, this is where I felt a real difference compared to my older Oral-B electric. The vibrations feel smoother and less harsh. With my old brush, after two minutes, my hand and jaw sometimes felt a bit rattled, especially around sensitive teeth. With the iO 7, the brushing feels more like a strong massage than a jackhammer. I can actually stay on the Intense Clean mode without feeling like my teeth are being attacked, which I couldn’t say about my previous brush.

The brush head size is the usual small round Oral-B style, which I like because it gets around the back molars quite easily. The bristles on the Deep Clean heads are firm enough to feel like they’re doing something, but they didn’t tear up my gums. The first two days my gums felt a bit more stimulated, but not painful. After that, it just felt normal. If your gums are quite sensitive, the Sensitive mode plus a light touch works fine – I tried that for a few days and had no discomfort.

In the hand, the grip is pretty solid. There’s a rubberized texture that keeps it from slipping even when your hand is wet. The handle isn’t super bulky, so if you have smaller hands it should still be manageable. The 2-minute timer with 30-second pulses is handy because you don’t really have to think – you just move to the next quadrant when it buzzes. For me that keeps the brushing routine simple and consistent, which is half the battle.

The only annoyance I noticed is the noise level. It’s quieter than older Oral-B models, but it’s not silent. If someone is sleeping in a room nearby with thin walls, they’ll probably hear a faint buzzing. It’s not awful, just something to keep in mind. Overall, for daily use, the comfort is pretty solid: no jaw fatigue, gums handled it well, and I didn’t dread using it, which is important if you’re trying to keep a habit.

The set I tested is the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect, iO Series 7 in black. In the box you get: the handle, 2 iO brush heads, a magnetic charging base, and a charging travel case. So you’re more or less ready to go for several months before needing new heads. No weird assembly, you just click the head on, plug the base in, and let it charge. The handle feels like a mid-size electric shaver in the hand, not huge, not tiny.

The main selling points they push are: 5 brushing modes (Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Gum Care, Intense Clean), an interactive display on the handle, a pressure sensor that tells you if you’re brushing too hard or too soft, and Bluetooth to connect with the Oral-B app. There’s also the usual timer that nudges you every 30 seconds to change zone and stops after 2 minutes. Pretty standard for this price range, but the pressure feedback and app tracking are clearly the big "smart" bits here.

In practice, you’ll probably use 1–2 modes most of the time. I mostly used Daily Clean and occasionally Sensitive when my gums felt a bit sore. The other modes are nice to have but not essential. The app tries to coach you into covering all areas of your mouth and gives you a score at the end. It’s a bit gimmicky but it did make me more aware of areas I tend to rush, especially the back molars on my non-dominant side.

So overall, the package is pretty complete: you get the brush, enough heads to start, and a travel case that actually charges the brush, which is handy if you travel more than a couple of days. Nothing mind-blowing in terms of extras, but everything you need is there and it feels like a premium kit, not a budget bundle.

This is the part that actually matters: does it clean better than a manual or a basic electric? In my case, yes, pretty clearly. After the first full 2-minute session, my teeth felt noticeably smoother, especially along the gum line and behind the front teeth where plaque usually hangs around. That “tongue test” where you run your tongue over your teeth – they felt more polished than with my older brush. Not like a professional deep clean, but definitely closer to that feeling than before.

Over about two weeks of use, I noticed less buildup between cleanings, especially on the inner surfaces where I tend to rush. The app and the pressure sensor helped here: the app map made it obvious I was neglecting some back areas. It sounds a bit silly, but seeing the zones I missed in real time did push me to slow down and cover everything properly. Once I got used to the rhythm, I didn’t need to stare at the app every time, but it was useful at the start to fix bad habits.

I mainly used Daily Clean mode. I tried Whitening a few times but honestly, I didn’t see a huge difference versus just brushing well twice a day. If you’re expecting it to make your teeth several shades whiter on its own, that’s not realistic. It keeps surface stains under control if you drink coffee or tea, but don’t expect miracles. Gum Care mode is a bit gentler and felt nice when my gums were slightly irritated after eating something rough.

Overall, in terms of pure effectiveness, I’d say this is a clear step up from both a manual brush and older cheap electrics. The downside is that the brush heads are not cheap, and you need to replace them regularly to keep that level of performance. So yes, it does a very good job, but you’re paying for it over time, not just at purchase.