Oral-B IO toothbrush - how to get it starry-eyed?

February 9, 2023 7:30 AM

I've had my Oral-B iO 6 toothbrush for a year, and I'm quite pleased with it (and even more with my dentist's enthusiasm for how clean my teeth are) but the gamification frustrates me. The line between :) and :( is clear, because you need to brush for 2 minutes minimum to get a smile. But I'm very hit or miss on whether I get a regular smile or a starry-eyed one, and I can't figure out the criteria. Does anyone know what my toothbrush is thinking?

Google is useless as it just brings up general reviews. I suspect that the app may give more information, but my model is barely-smart and I refuse to enable my phone to talk to my bloody toothbrush on principle.

posted by I claim sanctuary to Technology (4 answers total)

This review says it's related to going well over two minutes.

"Brush for an insufficient amount of time and you will get a sad face. Brush for 2 minutes and you get a smiley face. If you brush for much longer than required you will see a starry eyed smile."
posted by knapah at 7:47 AM on February 9, 2023

Response by poster: Not to threadsit but I've definitely had starry eyes after brushing for 2 minutes sharp, so that review is wrong. It seems to be some combo of pressure and paying equal attention to all sections of the mouth? But I'm hoping someone knows the exact criteria.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 9:00 AM on February 9, 2023

Best answer: I happen to know a product manager on the product. Very good results is 2-4 minutes of brushing. Excellent results is the very good criteria where you are applying the proper pressure for more than 75% of your brushing time.
posted by mmascolino at 11:25 AM on February 9, 2023 [21 favorites]

Response by poster: ...Metafilter knows everything. Thank you!
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:22 PM on February 9, 2023 [2 favorites]