Riveting news from the world of dental hygiene: the Ultreo ultrasonic
toothbrush has officially launched, promising what sounds like the ultimate brush session -- oh you know, "ultrasound waveguide technology" and "precisely tuned sonic bristle action" and stuff like that. Unlike traditional sonic units that only use audible frequencies of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, Ultreo uses a tuned sonic / ultrasonic (over 20,000Hz) combo to offer more enamel-rattling power without compromising the user's veneers, bridges, or general safety. There's a programmable replacement indicator that prompts a brush head switch-out every 3 months, and the 2-minute auto shut-off timer makes sure you don't cop out too early. For about $149.00, true tooth-o-philes can sink their chompers into this latest addition to the bourgie toothbrush market.
[Thanks,
Eric B]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Greg @ Feb 24th 2007 5:56PM
I think the question is "Will it blend?"
D (tenacious) @ Feb 24th 2007 6:16PM
This reminds me of that ad on TV saying the product advertised was "a revolution in toilet bowl cleaning technology".
CTG @ Feb 24th 2007 6:36PM
Seems like what I'd expect as the next evolutionary step in the Sonicare line.
I've had nothing but positive experiences (and nice, white teeth) with my Sonicare toothbrushes over the years and will at least wait to see the next generation before I consider switching to this.
It does look promising.
Jorix @ Feb 24th 2007 6:37PM
I have a 2-year old toothbrush from Philips which works with Ultrasound (Sonicare 7350), and has a 2-minute timer (with a small beep after each 30 seconds, to remind you to switch sides)... So, what's the news in this brush? That it'll remind you to buy new brushes?
Kristen @ Feb 25th 2007 10:14AM
Your current Sonicare works with sonic vibrations. This new brush works with ultraSOUND technology as well as sonic vibrations.
Keep brushing! =)
frin @ Feb 26th 2007 12:57PM
Jorix,
I'm curious about this Sonicare 7350 you mentioned. I can't find it anywhere on the internet (Amazon, ebay, Yahoo!, google, even Sonicare.com) Did you enter the model number correctly? Closest I could find was Sonicare Elite e7300 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008BFXJ/mgdiscountinc-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1/ref=nosim) or (http://www.sonicare.com/products/elite/elite7300.asp), which makes no mention of ultrasound capability. Do you have a link to something that will verify that the 7350 exists and/or uses ultrasound?
Also a search on the Sonicare site for "ultrasound" or "ultrasonic" gets no (zero) results. Try it for yourself (http://www.sonicare.com/default.asp)
Does anybody have any link to anything that says any other brush uses ultrasound? Just doing my homework. Thanx
StevO @ Feb 24th 2007 7:05PM
Well i worked in a chem lab over the summer and to clean the microscopic particles from the tiny pores in lab equipment, we use warm, soapy water bath along with a blasting session of ultra-sound waves. a few minutes later, the particles float right off.
so, this technology works, but the question is whether the additional ability is worth the price.
Jesse Eastman @ Feb 24th 2007 7:08PM
Same as above, been using Sonicare for 2 1/2 years and the technology is excellent. Looking forward to user reviews of the Ultreo though.
ScOObyDoo @ Feb 24th 2007 7:14PM
Interesting: It was a revolutionary idea. In 2003, Mourad and Jack Gallagher, now CEO of Ultreo, Inc. and former president of Optiva Corporation (developers of Sonicare®), discussed the idea
Looks like they took their knowledge of the Sonicare and decided to make their own product...
3t3 @ Feb 24th 2007 8:29PM
I used Sonicare's top of the line brush which was a fine unit. However, the brush-head was a pain to clean and it stunk up from the stains building up inside (Sonicare users know what I'm talking about). That is why I decided to switch to Oral-B Triumph and I find that to clean even better than Sonicare. It's also a snap to clean the brushhead. The smaller and round Oral B brushhead is easier to navigate. But this one looks alot like the Sonicare. Fortunately they did changed the design of the brushhead. I might just try it and see. I'm a sucker for new dental technology.
CTG @ Feb 24th 2007 9:12PM
3t3, I believe I know what you speak of.
It sounds like you're describing the old two-piece Sonicare brush head that had a piece of plastic behind the actual brush. Like in this picture:
http://mindprod.com/images/sonicare.jpg
The 2nd generation Sonicare, which has been available for years now, has been redesigned with a more streamlined and easier to clean brush head like the one you see on the Ultreo:
http://www.drtana.com/images/sonicare.jpg
My apologies if you meant something different.
3t3 @ Feb 24th 2007 10:28PM
No No..i do have the lastest Sonicare and if you untwist the brushhead and look inside where the rubber end is, you will see that there is stain build up and odor will develop if you dont pop out the brush and clean it thoroughtly with a manual brushhead. I see this as a major design flaw. Oral B Triumph has done a better job than Sonicare IMO. However, their brushes worn out faster. But this new toothbrush looks interesting.
muriakida @ Feb 24th 2007 9:22PM
Just don't use it before you go to bed or you'll fire up every dog in the neighborhood.
yuck mouth @ Feb 24th 2007 9:37PM
does this operate at a higher frequency/more powerful than Sonicare units?
I couldn't find the ultrasonic specs on the sonicare. I have a sonicare unit and I like it fine, though I wish it cleaned a bit better...
Serg @ Feb 25th 2007 5:34PM
"Unlike traditional sonic units that only use audible frequencies of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, Ultreo uses a tuned sonic / ultrasonic (over 20,000Hz) combo to offer more enamel-rattling power without compromising the user's veneers, bridges, or general safety."
Did you not read the above statement. Sonicare will not give their numbers because they are not exact. They can only give a range. The main difference between this and Sonicare is a higher frequency.
Subgingival dental plaque (like any other biofilm) is one of the stickiest and therefore most difficult pathogens to remove from the body. There is no published research on this product. Only inhouse studies.
For those that think they need a tongue scaper - they don't. Only a larger sized ultra-soft tooth brush. BTW - there is a difference between ultra soft, soft, medium and hard......
The main reason why battery powered toothbrushes are better than manual is because they have built in 2 minute timers. Most people brush under 50s.... As for the science of cleaning ability, sonic (sonicare) and oscillating (oral-B) toothbrushes both have their strengths. Sonic toothbrushes create a turbulence that can aid in disrupting plaque. Oscillating are supposed to have greater direct response around the sulcus. Google Cochrane Collaboration.... I recommend whichever the person likes better. Right now I feel that the Oral B Triumph Professional Care 9000 works the best in my mouth. The head is too small for brushing the tongue so I have a manual also... No Cavities ever. I'm 29 now. Eat candy, other sweets and drink sodas.... Visit your dentist.
Dcamp @ Feb 24th 2007 10:04PM
My father (a dentist) has been using regular floss, a regular brush, and a slightly stronger fluoride toothpaste solution for as long as I can remember. He has no cavities to speak of and no bad breath.
At 149$ this toothbrush should do something like - not even touch my teeth to clean and floss it through ultra-magic. It's inventing a high dollar item to fill the wide space of being too lazy to brush your teeth with muscle movement.
Stephen Yuan @ Feb 25th 2007 6:18PM
I wish wut you say about the muscle power is true. Had I have the power I would use that power on my girlfriend.
DrNeuralgia @ Feb 24th 2007 11:14PM
I'm a DDS.
If you don't use an adequate technique, this is useless.
As someone else said: regular toothbrush, and regular flossing, done the right way is more than enough.
BTW, don't forget to clean your tongue and to rinse. Happy kissing.
Jesse S @ Feb 25th 2007 12:09AM
What is the correct/good way to clean one's tongue?
I can never seem to get mine very clean...
Tachion @ Feb 25th 2007 1:48AM
Tongue scraper.
You'd be surprised how much bacterial film you can scrape off your tongue after just a day.
Tim @ Feb 25th 2007 4:05AM
3t3, the reason bacteria grows there is because it doesn't have a chance to dry out if you keep it screwed to the toothbrush (or if you place it on the plastic stand that Sonicare provides).
However, if you unscrew the top, underneath it is a magnet. I place the top on something metal, with the magnet holding it in place, which allows the inside to dry out. This has kept it clean ten times longer then when I used to leave it on the brush or put it on its stand.
Wayne @ Feb 25th 2007 12:26PM
Sonic brushing doesn't remove as much plaque as rotary-oscillation. Sonicare, and now Ultreo, are selling marketing hype, not product performance. Buy an Oral-B power toothbrush if you actually want to clean your teeth.
CudaCrazy69 @ Feb 25th 2007 11:55PM
Well I learned a lesson quite a while ago, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”, why don’t you all try it or let the public use it for a while and decide, before you criticize it. Such a negative world we live in. I read the research page, and was very impressed with several studies, several which didn’t seem to be “in house” studies. If it keeps my teeth healthy, I’ll at least try it, the Sonicare with a timer in it is MORE expensive than $149.
http://www.ultreo.com/web/home/dental-professionals/clinical-research/
Wayne @ Feb 26th 2007 8:12AM
Cuda,
You are exactly the kind of sheep/lemming they are hoping to sell to. Even if you buy it only to evaluate it, they win. Either you think it works well (it won't) and continue to use it, or you think it's terrible but they've already got your money.
James @ Feb 26th 2007 12:42PM
Even if it does clean teeth better than a Sonicare or Oral-B, without the widespread availability of the brush heads I don't see this product gaining much popularity.
As it stands, I can can brush heads for the Sonicare and Oral-B at almost any grocery store.
James @ Feb 26th 2007 2:54PM
The Sonicare 7350 is the same as the 7300; it just comes with a few more extras in the box (usually another brush head or holder or something). I don't think they're normally sold in stores. Dental offices and online sotres are more likely to sell these "bundles."
hobnobin @ Feb 26th 2007 10:27PM
I would think that since two of sonicares original founders are involved in this new bursh, it's not the flash in the pan that some of you seem to think. As it gains market share, you'll probably be more inclined to give it a try. I know I can hardly wait to get one.
Wayne @ Feb 27th 2007 8:13AM
Since Sonicare brushes don't remove plaque, I'm even less interested to try this brush knowing that two Sonicare people are involved.
frin @ Feb 27th 2007 10:23AM
Wayne,
"Sonicare brushes don't remove plaque"? At all? ZERO plaque removal? What facts are you basing this statement on? According to this study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=8841896&dopt=Abstract) done by the University of California, clearly states the Sonicare effectively removes plaque, and even that it is statistically superior to manual brushes. Is there a similar study to support what you are saying?
To anybody who's interested, this site (http://adr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/16/1/9#HANCOCK-1996) has links to a bunch of studies regarding electric toothbrushes.
Has anybody found out yet whether there is another brush that uses ultrasound? I have not, yet. Thanx
gls @ May 10th 2007 3:37PM
Hype, nothing....it just takes trying this brush to see what it can do. Unbelievable!! Worth every penny...and you can feel the difference. Unlike any other toothbrush out there, your teeth feel incredibly clean for at least 8-10 hours. Technology is awesome and makes perfect sense.
orthofem @ May 13th 2007 11:04AM
I just purchased my Ultreo this weekend at the Texas Dental Association meeting. I'm excited to give it a try when I receive it in 4-6 weeks. The studies quoted in their literature look promising. And at $49 with a 30-day money back guarantee, I really have nothing to lose. That's right $49, not $149. I'll update once I've had time to give it a test drive.
Justin @ May 19th 2007 10:48AM
My wife brought home the Ultreo for me yesterday. Works good for the outside of your teeth but it doesnt feel like it makes enough contact behind my teeth as there are no bristles in the middle of the brush just a rubber type of bushing.