When I had the opportunity to try the Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush for Health’s Oral-B lineup review, I was excited to see what kind of experience a $300 toothbrush could provide. I was thrilled with the results—each brush felt almost like going to the dentist, and the toothbrush’s AI brush feature in the app assured me that I was never missing any spots, but I couldn’t get past the price.
Ultimately, when I misplaced the Series 9 charging stand during a move, I decided I wanted to give another toothbrush a try for comparison’s sake. I’d seen Doctor Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Flossing Toothbrush recommended across the internet and was skeptical that it could do everything reviewers said, but with a $10 price tag for two brushes, it didn’t feel like a huge investment if it didn’t end up delivering.
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While I do floss every day, slight dental overcrowding makes it hard for me to floss as easily as I’d like, so the “flossing toothbrush” descriptor Doctor Plotka gave to its signature brush grabbed my attention. If the Oral-B iO Series 9 left me feeling like I’d come from the dentist, Doctor Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Toothbrush did something more. Instead of the dentist-style round, flat head of the Series 9, it has an oval head with layered bristles, the long ones acting like flossers between teeth. This brush gently invigorated my gums and cleaned the entire surface of each tooth, including the spaces in between that were hard to get with the uniform bristles of my Oral-B brush. I felt like I could reach every part of my tooth in just one or two movements with this manual toothbrush, where it would often take several passes to get the same coverage with my more expensive toothbrush.
I noticed a difference between the two after just one use. The manual brush’s long bristles slid between my teeth with ease, feeling like they were helping to combat plaque and food particles even in areas that are normally tough to floss. This toothbrush made my teeth feel clean for hours after brushing, even after eating and drinking. This $5 manual toothbrush put my $300 electric toothbrush to shame.
Whether electric toothbrushes are better than manual ones is a significant topic of research and discussion among dental experts, but both types of toothbrushes have advantages and disadvantages. Marc Schlenoff, DDS, FAGD, Vice President of Clinical Development at Tend, previously told Health that both manual and electric toothbrushes can be equally effective with the right technique, and the American Dental Association agrees. Some dentists recommend electric toothbrushes for their coverage, and it was true that I knew I was getting consistent coverage thanks to the Oral-B iO brush map in the app, but I also think more than a year of using the app taught me more accurate brushing methods that I could transfer to a manual brush.
When it came to the Mouthwatchers toothbrush, aside from its much lower price, it felt like I was getting a more extensive clean. The layered bristles felt like they cleaned all sides of my teeth in as little as one movement and left an all-day clean feeling. While the Oral-B iO Series 9 brush had its own drawbacks—price and maintenance, primarily—I still haven’t been able to find any with the Mouthwatchers toothbrush. If you’re worried the “soft” bristles the brand describes won’t do much for a cleaner mouth, they’re actually firm enough to feel invigorating on my gums.
Overall, if you’re like me and feel like your toothbrush could be doing more—no matter the price tag—I’d recommend giving Doctor Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Flossing Toothbrush a try. It’s more than worth the investment.
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