Oclean X Ultra S Toothbrush review

What price can one put on their teeth? I’ve pondered this question throughout my time testing the Oclean X Ultra S electric toothbrush. While the value of an irreplaceable adult tooth could be considered priceless, perhaps the cost of reparative dental work is a fair metric; the average price of a root canal in Australia can be as high as $3400 without a crown, according to the Australia Dental Association.

I wondered this because at $449 the Oclean X Ultra S is the most expensive toothbrush I’ve ever put in my mouth, by a wide margin. It is also the most advanced toothbrush I’ve used, with a bevy of interesting tech under the hood. Does the experience match the price tag?

Digging into the tech that sets the X Ultra S from the pack has been a fascinating journey. In the hand, this looks and feels like an electric toothbrush, albeit with a touchscreen on the front.

The true value of the X Ultra S is in how it tracks the way you brush your teeth and can offer instructions on the fly. When you start the X Ultra S, you’ll notice a gentle humming, but it’s only when the brush is in your mouth and turned to a 45-degree angle that the power really kicks in. And with a motor capable of 84000 movements each minute (according to Oclean, I didn’t count them) it has a bit of a kick to it.

Despite the power, the Oclean X Ultra S is impressively quiet. Not silent, of course, but certainly no louder than far less powerful electric toothbrushes.

As you brush, the toothbrush is on hand to offer a few key instructions, delivered via bone conduction tech. Press too hard and the tiny voice directs you not to, and an LED light on the base of the brush lights up red. Move the X Ultra S about too much, and you’ll receive a stern reminder to be more gentle. You’ll also hear suggestions for when it is time to move onto a different part of your teeth. When you power down the X Ultra S, the touchscreen tells you how long you brushed for and shows a digital set of teeth indicating any areas which you could give more attention.

The touchscreen on the front allows you to select one of the preset cleaning modes, like ‘Sunset Soothing’ and ‘Whitening Polishing’. In the app there are at least a dozen more like this with equally catchy, if vague names. I’ll admit that I found it difficult to differentiate between most of the everyday modes. I assume each has a unique combination of power and movement, and I wish that the app offered more detail about the differences and use cases for each.

Speaking of the app, the Oclean+ app for iOS and Android is where you’ll find far more detailed feedback on your brushing habits than can fit on the tiny screen on the toothbrush handle. Similar to an exercise tracking tool, like Fitbit, the Oclean+ app can show your performance over time, tracking the time you spend brushing, and information about how thoroughly you brush each of the 8 zones of your teeth (top, bottom, left, right, front, back). For some reason, I struggle with the teeth on the bottom right-hand side of my mouth, and this is great information to have.

The gamification of teeth brushing is something that is likely to improve the consistency and thoroughness of brushing for a number of people. Coming back each day and checking your ‘scores’ quickly becomes addictive.

I just wish there was more training guides and a glossary. For example, when the app reported that I had too much instances of ‘lateral brush movement’, I needed Google to figure out how to rectify this.

We return to the $449 question: is the X Ultra S worth its price tag? Is any electric toothbrush worth this sort of money?

Taken on its own, the X Ultra S is a phenomenal bit of technology, and my teeth have never felt cleaner than they do after brushing with it. The motor is clearer more powerful than an other toothbrush I’ve used and I’ll trust that the boffins at Oclean have put the work in to optimise the brush moves as you use it. I don’t pay much attention to the variety of brushing modes, but I value the post-brushing feedback.

It’s also worth noting the accessories included with the X Ultra S. In the box you’ll find a charging stand with attached USB cable, a separate travel case with a built-in charger, three different brush heads to try and a handy wall-mounting magnet for storing the X Ultra S between uses.

Oclean isn’t the only one offering toothbrushes in this price bracket, either. Oral B and Philips both has $500 electric toothbrushes at the top-end of their range, but on paper, the Oclean X Ultra S has both beat with better tech and a more powerful motor.

Which is to say, that if you were shopping for a toothbrush with everything, I’d choose the X Ultra S over the competition.