Oral B Braun ProfessionalCare Triumph 9450

Full Review

Over the years, Oral B's Braun series of electric toothbrush has been modified times, mostly tweaking the esthetics and techno goodies of the brush. The oscillating action of the brush head has been consistant since the brush's inception. Over the years, a pulsating feature has been added to the head to enhance cleaning effectiveness.

The Oral B Braun ProfessionaCare Triumph 9450 has picked up where previous brushes in the line have left off, enhancing their new teeth cleaning system with a "smart chip" in the handle.

Brush Features

1) Oscillating, pulsating brush head.

2) Floss action brushhead(claims 90% effectiveness with cleaning in between teeth)

3) Customized brush settings: (Clean)-Superior whole mouth cleaning (Soft)-Gentle yet thorough cleaning for sensitive areas (Massage)- Gentle stimulation of the gums (Polish)-All over polish and whitening

4) Displayed brushing time.

5) Displayed battery status meter.

6) Brushhead replacement indicator on display The 9450's kit is loaded. Along with the brush handle and base comes, (1)Floss action brushhead (2)Power polisher brushhead (3)Power tip brushhead (4)Tongue Freshener (5)Smart charger and a travel case. Definately loaded.

Ok, first let's start with what I don't like about the triumph system. The dislikes barely register a blip on the radar. Personally, I do not care for the toothbrush's main head, the floss action brushhead. This head is way to big to comfortably fit on the side of a singe tooth and smoothly flow along the brushing path. I prefer, to a much greater extent, the Flexisoft head, Oral B's excellent workhorse brushhead. The Flexisoft is smaller with softer bristles that conform perfectly to the shape a and surfaces of the teeth. I dislike the floss action bristles on the larger head. I find their consistency too firm for my tastes and fear aggressive brushers may suffer gum recession. I believe Oral B would not agree with my last statement, however, I witness improper brushing everyday and believe the floss action head could result in recession of not utilized correctly.

Lastly, I never like when a product claims its effectiveness nears that of flossing as well as brushing. Oral B claims the floss action brushhead to be 90% as effective as flossing. Even though a small disclaimer warns against substituting this for flossing, the lofty 90% claim may tempt individuals to do just that. Personal experience leads me to believe these statements could cause individuals to minimize flossing. The simple fact is that you must floss on a regular basis regardless of the toothbrush you use or how adept you are at brushing.

So go with the triumph 9450 fitted with a Flexisoft head, floss daily and this system will treat you extremely well. Now for what I like. Let's put the window dressing aside on this brush. The timer/charge display and customized brushing are all nice, but by no means necessary. What I like is the fact that this electric toothbrush works. It gets great results. It is the sole brush that I recommend to my patients because it does a better job of cleaning their teeth than any manual or electric toothbrush. Yes, this is opinion, but more important, it also is fact.

An independent testing group called "The Cochrane Collaboration" has been feverishly testing manual and electric toothbrushes against those made by Oral B. Their results have recently been published in the Journal of Dentistry, as well as, on the internet at http://www.thecochranelibrary.com.

Their results confirm similar findings that I have made note of each day in my dental practice. Users of the ProfessionalCare series by Oral B have consistently shown less plaque, better oral hygiene and less bleeding gums.

The success lies with the oscillating and pulsating brush head. This movement simply does a better job at cleaning teeth, particularly at the gumline where plaque and bacteria tend to show the most prevalence. Manual brushers and users of straight headed electric systems often miss the gum line due to the nature of the scrubbing motion involved. This missed plaque can lead to dental decay, gingivitis or even gum disease. The Braun's round head perfectly fits the shape of the tooth's neck where it intesects with the gum tissure while the oscillating and pulsating movement effectively wisks away plaque and debris. This sytem proves effective and lends itself to quality tooth by tooth cleaning.

Experts believe toothbrushes should be changed every three months to afford the most benefits to their users. With the Triumph system, a simple change in the brush head is all that is required. Their availabilty is very widespread.

Long rechargeable battery life and a travel case make this the perfect full time tooth brushing system.

I feel I must state that I have absolutely no affiliation with Oral B other that I purchase and use their products. I pay them, they do not pay me.

Retail prices vary from approximately $116-$150 to purchase this tooth care system. Any price in this range is fair considering the outstanding cleaning the brush provides. Because it performs so well, I would anticipate you saving money on future dental bills, so consider its price an investment in your mouth.

No other toothbrush, be it manual or electric, offers its users the cleaning capabilities of the Oral B Braun ProfessionalCare Triumph 9450. If this isn't enough, Oral B entices possible consumers with two additional perks. 1) As stated on the side panel of the Triumph's box, Oral B guarantees you will notice a difference in the overall cleanliness of your mouth or they will refund 100% of your money-no questions asked. Full details for this policy reside inside the kit.

2) Currently, Oral B is offering, through dental professionals, a $10 rebate which allows purchasers to send in their receipt and UPC code and receive a check back in the mail. Now how can you beat a toothbrush that is clinically proven by independent studies to effectively clean teeth better than any other product on the market today, has a 100% money back guarantee and comes with a $10 mail in rebate.

ANSWER: You can't! That's why it's the only brush I use and recommend .
By: Todd S. Resek D.M.D.