Your first impression of the Oral-B Triumph 5000 with Smartguide may well be that of my girlfriend when she pulled it out of the box and tossed the accompanying literature (i.e the instructions) to one side: “Ooh, an electric toothbrush!”
No, no, no, (MY electric toothbrush) and anyway it is not just an electric toothbrush. Aren’t you going to read the booklet? “Oh no, far too much to read for a toothbrush!”

To be honest, just picking up and using the device as an electric toothbrush a bit like owning a Ferrari and never taking it on a track – you will be impressed and want to tell everyone about it, but you won’t be getting the best from it, which really is rather a shame.

Also like a Ferrari, the Oral-B Triumph 5000 is aesthetically pleasing, but whilst the Italian Stallion of the motoring world is competing in an extensive market, there really is nothing currently comparable to the Oral-B. Not only does it do something different, it does it well. I expected quality from a brand which I grew up with, and it didn’t let me down, even throwing in a few surprises, my favourite being the monitor on the front of the device which displays how much battery power is left according to a set of bars, like on a mobile phone.

The only feature of this item that isn’t entirely flawless/convenient is that it plugs into a shaving socket – which not everyone has, so you may have to buy an adaptor to plug it into a normal socket, which obviously won’t be in the bathroom. Slightly annoying, but small potatoes as a con compared to all of its pros.

Using the Smartguide system when you brush your teeth is a bit like having a personal trainer at the gym – without it you go in, faff about a bit and leave. But now your oral workout is prescribed by a washable, wireless, battery-powered digital display unit that keeps your brushing on track, showing you which quadrant of your mouth to brush, prompting you to change to the next by pulsating and reversing the head every 30seconds, and even protecting you from gum damage by alerting you with a symbol if you press too hard. The travel case and multi-voltage plug mean that wherever you go your robo-brush can too, and with a choice of four heads (provided) and five brushing modes (polishing, daily, deep clean, sensitive and massage), you should be wary of asking a hygienists’ thoughts on this device, as it basically removes the need for their very existence.

The blurb promises “Naturally whiter teeth in just 21 days” but I saw a difference after three! Annoying little teeth at the corner of your mouth that remain at least two shades darker than your sparkly white front teeth? Not anymore! Thank you Oral-B, side-profile photos are now allowed.

The original price of around £160 for this amazing package was well worth it, but is now on sale wherever you look for less than half of that, so nab one for yourself, your partner, your mum, your dog...

Last year in Las Vegas and American man decided to make a loud song and dance about the fact that I had the “whitest ENGLISH" he’d ever seen, his chum nodding away in fervent agreement. Oh the shame. Come on Angles, we owe it to Her Majesty to pick up your Oral-B Triumph 5000 with Smartguide and clean that stiff upper lip. The say: Oral-B Triumph – a triumph over ordinary brushing.” I say “Oral-B Triumph – a triumph over smarmy Americans.”

I considered submitting my girlfriend’s only sentence as she left the bathroom as the entire review; “That toothbrush is stunning.” Sums it up nicely I thought.

RRP: £160 and available available from Amazon, Boots and selected stockists nationwide.

See www.oralb.com for more details.