Brush change interval on Oral B Triumph 9400

[free4now]

I recently got with the times and started using a power toothbrush, the Braun Oral B Triumph 9400. I ordered some replacement flossaction toothbrushes from amazon and things are going great. I have this "can't believe I lived without this all my life" feeling, knowing my teeth get much cleaner than they ever did brushing manually.

Only one issue: this model is supposed to tell me when to change the brush, and it hasn't told me to change the brush even after about 5 months on the same brush. They say 3 months is the normal life, and this brush is starting to look and feel pretty beat up, but the indicator hasn't gone on.

I have a vague idea that the brushheads may be counterfeit, lacking the chips that let them communicate with the head, and I suppose the main reason I'm continuing to use the brush is that I want to be proven wrong, to find evidence that my brushes really are genuine and have the chip.

For others who use the flossaction brushheads with a Triumph head, do you get the change brush indicator? How long does it take? And if you don't get the indicator, does 3 months sound like a good interval to replace the brush?

 

[W2R]

I don't have an electric toothbrush, but seriously - - I think you should change the brush when you think it needs changing, or when the light goes on, whichever comes first!

Basically, you can SEE the brush and evaluate its effectiveness based on common sense that you have developed over many years. I would trust human evaluation more than whatever expert system they have built into the toothbrush (and it's probably not very sophisticated).

 

[TromboneAl]

There blue bristles on our electric toothbrush that tell us when to change (i.e. when the top half of these turn white).

I find that the head that I use lasts about 5 times as long as the one DW uses. I guess she just presses harder. (Move along folks, there is no joke here.)

Is there really a chip in your toothbrush head that communicates wear??

 

[free4now]

Yep, there actually is supposed to be a chip (or something) that tells the device which brush is currently attached, so that the device can track and calculate how long particular brushes have been in use. I would have assumed they would have set the threshold very low so that people were buying brushes willy nilly.

 

[free4now]

Basically, you can SEE the brush and evaluate its effectiveness based on common sense that you have developed over many years. I would trust human evaluation more than whatever expert system they have built into the toothbrush (and it's probably not very sophisticated).

Yep, this incident is providing a window into my strange mind. I know the brush needs to be changed and I know my teeth will be healthier and cleaner if I do so. I have plenty of spare brushes. Yet I persist with this experiment of running it as long as I can to see if I can get the promised signal, prioritizing curiousity over health and well being.

 

[Sue J]

I have nothing to add about the Braun Oral B, but just that I recently switched from a manual toothbrush to a high tech Sonicare. I had the same feeling of "how did I live without this before!" A few years ago my dental hygenist recommended it and I resisted. It was expensive and I balked at having another electrical thing on my bathroom sink and having the charger cluttering up my very limited space. Then I ended up at the periodontist and he also recommended the Sonicare and I took the plunge. I found a low price on the newest one on eBay (including a set of replacement brushes that retail for $30). This toothbrush has modes and programs and an "easy start mode" for the first 2 weeks so that you get used to how different it is.

As for how to know when to change the brush, mine came with 12 stickers, one for each month. When you start a new brush you count forward 3 months and put that sticker on the charger base as a reminder. Not as high tech as the computer chip in the Oral B!

My hesitations about having the charger on the bathroom counter were all wrong. This needs to be charged about every 2 weeks, so the charger stays in another room, the Sonicare unit is the only thing in the bathroom.

 

[TromboneAl]

I had the same feeling of "how did I live without this before!"

We have the toothbrush below, and I never got that feeling. Can you explain what you mean?

 

[Sue J]

Well T-Al, I've never had a personal electronic vibrating device before and I'm finding that it's a very rewarding experience. Dentally, that is.

My teeth feel like I've just had a cleaning at the dentist, my coffee stains are gone and my teeth are less yellow. And since my high tech brush has a timer, I'm brushing for a full 2 minutes. It seems like a long time compared to how I used to brush.

This one also has a "Go Care" mode for when you just need a quickie. There's even a massage mode, but I may have to get in the right mood for that one. And a Max Care mode when you need a little bit of everything.

It meets needs I didn't even know I had. Dentally, that is.