No one likes going to the dentist and even more so, no one likes getting fillings or teeth pulled. Most of us will do whatever it takes to minimise the chance of this happening so when a lot of data suggests that electric toothbrushes clean teeth better than a manual toothbrush you can see why they are so popular.
Of course, in 2023, you would expect many of these electric toothbrushes to arrive with smart features. The new Colgate Pulse Series 2 Connected toothbrush is one of those that not just connects with your smartphone but also gives you hints on how to brush better based on how you have brushed in the past recorded times.
I tested it out and rather than give you a close up of my gross teeth in a video I thoughts I’d just describe my thoughts on it for you.
What is it?
The Colgate Pulse Series 2 connected electric toothbrush uses sonic technology to help deliver a superior clean of your teeth. Paired with your smartphone and the Colgate app you get a personalised coaching system which apparently removes “50% more plaque” compared with brushing with a non-connected electric toothbrush.
The toothbrush arrives with a handle and two heads – one deep clean and one sensitive head. Being old and having previous destroyed my gums over years of terrible cleaning technique, I opted for the sensitive option.
The toothbrush includes an on button and just above that, a smile light that flashes different colours depending on whether it is charging, fully charged or needing to be recharged. The top of the handle has a turning switch to turn the toothbrush to either daily clean mode, gentle clean mode or deep clean mode.
The bottom of the toothbrush houses the light which you need to keep an eye on while cleaning, especially if you do not have the app open while cleaning. The light is broken up into quadrants, each signifying 30 seconds. Obviously, this allows you to keep track of the time you have been cleaning if you aren’t watching on the app.
If you press too hard on your teeth with the toothbrush the light will flash red. It is surprising just how little force is too much and this is important for healthy gums.
Setup and use
Set up was super easy. Turn the toothbrush on and open the app, head into devices and it will basically automatically pair with your smartphone. From here you need to calibrate it and I dare say this is where the magic happens because the app certainly is magic, knowing exactly where you are cleaning and what angle the brush is on and what it should be on for an optimal clean.
To use the Colgate Pulse Series 2 toothbrush, open the app on your phone, stick some toothpaste on the bristles, and turn the toothbrush on. It will sync with your app almost immediately and download any stored brushes you might have done without the app open. It will then automatically track your brush checking speed, location, ideal brush angle and pressure until the brush has finished.
Charging the toothbrush is relatively easy, although not as easy as my current connected toothbrush which charges wireless through the bottom of a glass provided by the manufacturer. The Colgate Pulse Series 2 charges using two prongs on top of a stand which is easily knocked off and not super easy to place on. Not the most elegant solution but it works.
One thing I really disliked about the charging solution is the charger. It is a USB-A connection. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a USB port in the wall of my bathroom so this USB connection is useless. I used an old phone AC adapter I had hanging around but you shouldn’t have to provide this yourself in my opinion. Colgate should be including this in the box. You can also buy yourself a USB-AC adapter from K-mart for around $10 but once again, this is something you should not have to do. Colgate should have just made it an AC charging connection, not USB-A.
The Colgate app
The app is really good. I’ve tested out several connected toothbrushes in my time but none with this standard of coaching. If you follow the app it knows exactly where you are cleaning and what angle the toothbrush is on.
While brushing, the app will also give you instructions on how to brush better, information on areas you haven’t cleaned yet or didn’t clean well and when you are pressing too hard. Following the app results in a much better clean.
If you do not have your smartphone with you while cleaning, just follow the flashing light on the bottom of the toothbrush. Next time you open the app with your toothbrush on the cleans performed without the app will be uploaded to the app and recorded. The app will show you how well you did those days, what percentage you got cleaned, where you missed and more. To store this amount of information on the toothbrush and then have it upload is great.
The app also has a lot of fluff that you will unlikely ever use – your kids might but as an adult I can’t see myself ever “collecting smiles,” performing challenges, or playing games with cleaning your teeth. Just clean your teeth – the app is great for that. The rest is superfluous padding in the app.
Electric v old skool
We all love tech and love to buy tech products – that’s why we are here on EFTM – but sometimes an analogue product will do just as well as a digital product. For toothbrushes you could argue that the price of one connected toothbrush buys a hell of a lot of old school manual toothbrushes, and you’d be right.
Every dentist I have spoken to about toothbrushes though has said that an electric toothbrush is better than a manual toothbrush. They help you get into all the nooks and crannies of your teeth and some – such as this Colgate Pulse Series 2 – will coach you so that you cover all areas of your teeth and also do not press too hard.
This is exceptionally important. There’s little point cleaning your teeth if you continually miss one section of your teeth or you press to hard, ruining your gums. This is my issue and the connected toothbrush I have used for the last few years has helped me stabilise my gum loss/erosion as well as helped me to avoid any more root canals.
My previous connected toothbrush though was not as sensitive to pressing too hard on the teeth and worked mostly only when the app was open. The Colgate Pulse Series 2 is different though. It is extremely sensitive to the weight of the press and has sensitive settings you can use to prevent gum loss. If it was around 30 years ago I dare say my teeth and gums would be in a much better condition than how they are now.
Final thoughts
If you value your teeth — and everyone should — then I can foresee a connected toothbrush in your future. The advantage and insights you get of the quality and volume of your brushing are something that could save your teeth in the future.
Although the Colgate app has a lot of stuff in it you’ll never use, it also has everything in it you could ever need to improve the quality of your tooth brushing. The toothbrush itself is fairly basic but this also means it is really easy to use. The Colgate Pulse Series 2 toothbrush has enough by itself that you do not need to use the app each and every day.
For this reason I am highly recommending the Colgate Pulse Series 2 toothbrush. It is better to start using something like this before it is too late. It is not possible to reverse a lot of the changes poor brushing technique can create — this toothbrush can prevent any damage to your teeth or gums.
The Colgate Pulse Connected Electric Toothbrush range is now available in major retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, Big W and Amazon. Visit https://www.colgate.com.au/products/toothbrush/colgate-pulse-series-2-electric-toothbrush for more information.
The Series 2 reviewed above has a RRP of $130AUD. There is also a cheaper version, the Series 1, available for RRP $80AUD. Refill Packs of spare heads in Sensitive, Deep Clean and Whitening are RRP: $30AUD/4pk. Whatever the price, it is still a lot cheaper than a root canal (or false teeth).
