There is a saying that I learned when I was studying dentistry: the mouth is a window to your overall health. A lot of systemic diseases show symptoms in the mouth and a lot of mouth diseases can affect your whole body too. Oral health is very important and what we can do on our part is simple: good hygiene and frequent dental visits.
Brushing and flossing daily can improve overall oral health. Whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush, the important thing is you take your time and use the right technique. But, when people start getting conscious about their oral health, they also ask me what’s the best toothbrush or the best toothpaste.
There are a few qualities to look for in a toothbrush, but today I want to review ISSA 3 by Foreo, a very fancy and pricey toothbrush. So, is it worth it?
FOREO ISSA 3, Reviewed by A Dentist
What is ISSA 3?
ISSA 3 by Foreo is a hybrid toothbrush; its head has silicone and PBT polymer bristles in the centre, very different from other products in the market. The toothbrush is powered by T-Sonic Pulsations, a new technology that massages the gums and breaks up plaque and tartar without damaging enamel. Even though it’s an electric toothbrush, it doesn’t quite work like it. You should do the same movements you do with your manual toothbrush; it’s hybrid in every aspect.
Issa 3 has 16 levels of intensity that you can change depending on your preference. Its head can be unattached and changed with other ISSA head’s every 6 months. The back of the head can be used to brush the tongue. The battery is supposed to last 365 days without having to recharge it.
View this post on Instagram
What does it look like?
The design is like nothing I’ve seen before. It has a chunky but elegant shape that matches every bathroom. It comes in 4 colours and it is a lot bigger than I imagined. The brush head is about twice the size of a regular manual toothbrush. The neck that connects the body and the head is small and tilted which makes reaching the back areas of the mouth easier.
Beauty Space’s Greta Skuka tried the ISSA 3 by FOREO.
It has a timer that notifies you every 30 seconds (the time you need to brush each quadrant) and the toothbrush turns off after 2 minutes. After the time needed, it makes a little pause and flashes a blue light on the end of the device.
Like every other FOREO product, it can be connected to the app and it comes with a 2-year warranty.
How does it perform?
I must say, I had a little trouble getting used to it. The size was bigger than I expected and bigger than any other toothbrush I have seen (they have an ISSA mini with a smaller head size). This made me wonder if it will give me a gag reflex and if it could reach the area of my wisdom teeth. To answer these questions, no it didn’t give me a gag reflex (except when I went through a period of time when I was sick and my stomach was very sensitive to the medicine, I switched to my regular toothbrush), and the upper wisdom teeth are cleansed properly.
Another thing that didn’t make sense to me at the beginning is the fact that I had to make manual brush movements while it pulsated, but I got used to it and it’s okay.
The pulsations were very intense at the beginning, so I always use the lowest options and I think it still makes a good job. I do feel the need to apply a little too much pressure in order to feel proper contact of the bristles with the teeth.
Overall, despite its out-of-regular size, shape and performance, I think it does a very good job of cleaning teeth. I must say, I feel my teeth are very polished and clean after using it. However, I don’t find it very convenient to use and I often use my normal toothbrush.
