Our Review Of The FOREO ISSA 3, A Ultra-Hygienic Silicone Electric Toothbrush

Since we were young, we were instilled with the good habit of making sure we take our oral hygiene seriously by religiously brushing our teeth before we go to bed and after we wake up. But, as we get older, this simple habit can become a bit tedious when we are preoccupied with other tasks that force us to shorten the time spent focusing on the care for our teeth and overall oral health.

In an effort to not only assist us in taking better care of our smiles, FOREO has launched the latest addition to their ultra-hygienic silicone electric toothbrush series with the ISSA 3 — a 4-in-1 oral care device that does not only target the plaque built-up on your teeth but also gently massage your gums, cheeks, and tongue to give you the full oral protection you need.

If you are not convinced that a silicone electric toothbrush can do as good a job as its manual counterparts, read on for our review of this revolutionary oral care device.

BUILT TO IMPROVE ORAL HEALTH ALL YEAR-ROUND

Before we get into telling you how the device has worked for us, let us tell you a bit more about the ISSA 3. Built with a unique hybrid brush head, the device combines soft bacteria-resistant silicone and sturdy PBT polymer bristles that work together to not only gently massage gums, but also expertly break down plaque on teeth. The silicone bristles are also ideal for treating periodontal problems such as gum irritation and redness.

As compared to its predecessor, the ISSA 2, the latest device features stronger silicone bristles that are extra durable and ultra-flexible for reduced breakage, as well as a slim-fit design aimed at helping you reach each nook and cranny of your mouth to cover both teeth and gums in one stroke. It also offers softer sonic pulses and a low-battery indicator light to remind you to give your brush a quick 2-hour USB charge.
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ISSA 3 is powered by 16 different speeds of Sonic Pulse technology, giving you control over the intensity of micro-sweeps per minute for your device to deliver a gentle yet thoroughly clean brush. This is further aided with the built-in prompt of the ISSA 3 that guides you to brush a new quadrant of your mouth every 30 seconds which ensures you spend the recommended amount of time on your teeth.

The ISSA 3 is also a fully customisable toothbrush where you can interchange different brush heads to suit your personal preferences. Hybrid brush heads typically last for up to six months — twice as long as other electric toothbrush heads — while Sensitive brush heads can last up to a whole year. Together with FOREO’s patented technology, the ISSA 3 also has the ability to last up to 365 days (a whole year!) on a single USB charge.

REVIEWS

Adele Chan, Editor-in-Chief

“I have to say, this silicone electric toothbrush is really fun to use. Firstly, the design of the FOREO ISSA 3 is really cute. It stands on its own on my bathroom counter top, and it’s waterproof and has an anti-bacterial case, which means I don’t have to worry about it getting dirty or grubby over time.”
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“The silicone hybrid brush head feels nice on the teeth and gums, and the handle has a very natural hold in the hand. I really like that there are 16 speeds so it’s extremely customisable; there are some days when I want a gentle brush, and other days when I want to have an intense clean. The nylon bristles do a decent job of brushing teeth, gums and tongue, and importantly, it feels really safe to use. The entire thing is firm but soft with rounded edges, and reaches all the corners of the mouth comfortably.”
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“What I find particularly useful is that the device can last up to an entire year on a single full charge, which solves the issue I have with most other electric toothbrushes (it gets really troublesome whenever their batteries run out, and this can happen as often as every two weeks!).”

Amelia Tan, Deputy Editor

“This was my first time trying one of FOREO’s silicone electric toothbrushes — and yes, this is already the third version of it. In fact, for all the good things that dentists and teeth enthusiasts say about electric toothbrushes, I had only made the switch less than two years ago, to great results I might add. My only gripe? Having to charge it. While I do enjoy an electric toothbrush’s many superior functions, unlike a manual toothbrush, I can’t just pick it up and start brushing away, that is, until I realised the ISSA 3 lasts 365 days on one charge, making it immediately appealing thanks to its convenience. As with all FOREO products, this one’s made of bacteria-resistant, medical-grade silicone as well, so I don’t feel bad just leaving it by my sink.

Now, for the teeth brushing experience. Setting it up was easy; I did connect the ISSA 3 to my FOREO app, but you’re free to just use it right away by hitting the ‘on’ button at its handle. We’re told to use this as we would a manual toothbrush, going in circular motions, as the T-Sonic pulsations gently massage the gums and break up plaque. I liked that there was a layer of PBT polymer bristles in the middle of the brush head too for a more effective clean.”
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“To be fair, the ISSA 3 is wider and bigger than most other toothbrushes I use, though I appreciated its sleek, ergonomic design, which came in handy when reaching the awkward angles at the back of my mouth. The bristles also cover more area than usual, which helps reach places that other toothbrushes don’t normally cover. A helpful indicator light also helped signal the end of 30 seconds, so I could move to another quadrant of the mouth for a full, healthy 2 minutes of brushing.

Another improvement over the typical electric-type was the sound it makes. The ISSA 3 is quiet, quite unlike the mechanical noise that’s most apparent the first time you’re making the switch; this one’s of a low hum that doesn’t feel like you’ve got an entire construction site happening in your mouth. And honestly, other than getting used to the size, cleaning my teeth with the ISSA 3 felt like part of my everyday, natural routine — which is good news for creatures of habit, since everything from the seamless set-up to its ease of use adds to this point.”
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“Still, my favourite thing about the ISSA 3 is how gentle it was on my sensitive teeth and gums. The first time I switched to an electric toothbrush, I wasn’t used to the intensity at all, and had to dial the speed down right away. For the FOREO, I went with the default speed, and was pleased to find my teeth agreeing with it as well. The soft silicone bristles felt gentle, but still firm with, say, a medium-hold, which meant they did their work without me experiencing any discomfort or bleeding. You could also choose up to 16 different intensities of sonic pulse technology to suit your needs.”

Jasmine Ong, Writer

“As someone who always gets an earful from their dentist for not keeping their teeth well in check, I’ve always been particularly sensitive to anything that concerns my oral health — especially my gums and teeth. Because of this, I’ve always had the belief that electric toothbrushes will not be a suitable tool for me since I do not exactly have any control over the way I brush.

So, when it came time to try the FOREO ISSA 3, I was definitely a little hesitant to switch from my trusted manual toothbrush to an electric one. With that said, I did keep an open mind and my first impression of the ISSA 3 was that it had felt pretty light in my hands, with an ergonomic shape that offered a comfortable grip.”
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“The brush head, on the other hand, took a bit of getting used to as it seemed pretty daunting when I first saw it. Compared to my own non-electric toothbrush, the brush head was bigger in size with bristles that looked as terrifying as my dentist’s tools. Even though the gentle bristles gave me a bit of comfort when I tried them out on my hand, it was still a bit nerve-wracking to imagine them near my rather delicate set of teeth.

After mentally preparing myself, I started my usual brush routine and was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t really have much to worry about. With the ability to choose up to 16 different intensities, I opted to go at an extremely low level, just to get comfortable with the idea of an electric toothbrush.

While the low hum and vibration of the ISSA 3 almost reminded me of my horrific experience at the periodontist, it didn’t frighten me as much as I thought. In fact, even with all that worry about the brush head, I was genuinely surprised to feel the soft silicone bristles give me a gentle yet firm brush that was almost similar to how I brushed manually. Any worrying thoughts of discomfort or surprise bleeding were put aside as I couldn’t get over just how natural the brush felt after a while.”
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“A nifty feature that I particularly liked is the 30-seconds prompt which reminded me to brush a new quadrant each time. I am not the best at keeping to the optimum time for brushing but that indicator light definitely helped in ensuring I give my teeth and gums an adequate amount of attention.

Though I cannot say for sure that I am sold on changing to an electric toothbrush just yet, I am open to the idea of slowly transitioning to one. Even though I still prefer the idea of manual brushing, there is no denying that this silicone electric brushing makes for a much easier daily routine.”