Eleven hygienists participated in this product
evaluation. They used the product themselves for 4
weeks and then completed a product evaluation
form. They were asked to rate Ultreo on criteria such
as gentleness, feeling of clean, and ease of use.
Gentleness
The manufacturer describes Ultreo as safe and
gentle enough for everyday use on gums, natural
tooth surfaces, and dental work. When the evaluators
were asked to rate Ultreo on gentleness, 8 rated
it as very good, 1 rated it as good, and 2 rated it as
fair. One evaluator described it as “very gentle…just
right.” Another evaluator said, “It took some getting
used to. I was using [another power toothbrush]
prior to the Ultreo, so there was a much more tingly
feeling and the bristles move much more quickly.” A
third evaluator said, “The Ultreo was very gentle. It
took a few times to get used to it, but once I did, I
really loved it and I did not want to go back to my
regular toothbrush.”
Feeling of Clean
According to research conducted by the manufacturer,
Ultreo removes up to 95% of hard-to-reach
plaque in the first minute of brushing.1 The evaluators
were asked to rate Ultreo on both the immediate and
long-term feeling of clean they experienced. Five evaluators
rated the toothbrush as excellent for immediate
feeling of clean, 3 rated it as very good, 2 rated it as
good, and 1 rated it as poor. With regard to a longterm
feeling of clean, 2 rated it as excellent, 5 rated it
as very good, 3 rated it as good, and 1 rated it as fair.
When commenting on the immediate feeling of clean
she experienced, one evaluator said, “Compared to
[another power toothbrush], the Ultreo gave me a much
cleaner feeling immediately after brushing! I loved how
clean my teeth felt.” This same evaluator had this to say
about the long-term feeling of clean:
“Great! My teeth retained the clean feeling
for many hours. In fact, compared to
[another power toothbrush], the difference
was night and day.”
Ease of Use
The mechanism behind the ultrasound
technology of Ultreo is a patented
waveguide that channels the ultrasound
energy to activate the microbubbles created
by the brush’s bristles. Because
ultrasound requires a fluid medium to
work effectively, the manufacturer recommends
that users keep as much fluid
as possible around the bristles while
brushing. The manufacturer also suggested
using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
and brushing with gentle pressure
and a light touch. In addition, the bristles,
not the waveguide should be in contact
with the teeth and gumline.
When the evaluators were asked to
rate Ultreo on ease of use, 3 rated it as
excellent, 6 rated it as very good, and 2
rated it as good. One evaluator said, “It
was really easy to use and I really liked
the 30-second sound it makes to have
you switch to another section.”
Brushing Interval Signal
The Ultreo signals the user every 30
seconds to move from one quadrant to
the next. At the end of 2 minutes, the
brush automatically turns off. The evaluators
were asked to rate the usefulness of
the toothbrush’s interval signal. Six evaluators
rated it as excellent, 4 rated it as
very good to good, and 1 rated it as poor.
The evaluator who rated the usefulness
of the interval signal as poor said she felt
“the interval signal did not leave any
time for tongue cleaning.” Another evaluator
said that she “found the intervals
too short” and that she did not like that
it “turns off when I am not finished.” A
third evaluator said, “I thought the interval
signal was great. My kids sure loved
it! A nice touch to a great toothbrush.”
Overall Satisfaction
When asked to give their overall satisfaction
rating for Ultreo, 7 rated it as
excellent to very good and 4 rated it as
good to fair. One evaluator said, “Right
after using the Ultreo you felt like you
just had your teeth cleaned and polished
by a professional. It really felt
great.” This same evaluator went on to
say that “the Ultreo feeling of being
clean is so much better and longer [than
a regular toothbrush].”
Reference
1. Sharma NC, Qaqish J, Galustians J, et al.
Efficacy of Ultreo in dental plaque removal. Ultreo
Web site. Available at: https://www.ultreo.com/web/home/dental-professional/clinical-research/.
Accessed August 29, 2008.
