Oral-B's toothbrush uses AI to grade your teeth brushing habits

Your teeth might not be the first thing you think about when it comes to a beauty routine. But you, like most of us, are probably in constant pursuit of a healthy and pearly white smile. Enter: the Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush, complete with AI technology.

This fancy schmancy toothbrush claims to do a lot more than your regular electric toothbrush. The iO Series 9 packs in seven different "smart modes" for different types of oral hygiene care: Daily Clean, Whitening, Gum Care, Sensitive, Super Sensitive, Intense, and Tongue Clean. To switch between each mode, you click through the brush's colorful digital display, which can also show you perky little good morning/good evening messages when you go to brush your teeth. The brush also has an interactive pressure sensor, which triggers a different colored light to tell you if you're pushing too gently, too hard, or just right on your teeth and gums.

What the app displays as you brush your teeth in real time. Credit: Screenshot: Oral-B

The after-brushing summary, complete with a smiley face approval. Credit: Screenshot: Oral-B

But perhaps the most innovative and unique element to this toothbrush is its connected AI technology. The iO Series 9 pairs with an app via Bluetooth to show a 3D map of your teeth coverage area as you brush in real time. After brushing, the app gives you a score on how well you brushed your teeth, and lets you enter in additional oral care information, like whether you had any gum bleeding, if you used mouthwash, or if you cleaned your tongue.

In theory, this real time connectivity should make you much more aware of your brushing habits, and help train you to brush your teeth even better over time. But, as is so often the case, the fun and possibly health-altering tech doesn't come cheap — the Oral-B iO Series 9 comes in at a whopping $299.99, a price well above more typical electric toothbrushes, and miles above any manual toothbrush.

So, is it worth that hefty price tag? And do we even really need AI in our toothbrushes? Tech reporter Jennimai Nguyen put the iO Series 9 to the test for a week, and we delved into whether this gadget's buzzy tech actually makes a difference in oral health. Tune in here to see her verdict, and a peek into how well she scored on her teeth brushing habits — there may or may not be some adorable frowny faces involved.