A few smaller, third-party manufacturers make Sonicare- or Oral-B-compatible brush heads, which usually sell for much less than the real deal. Philips and Oral-B will tell you that you’re not getting the same quality or clean from these cheaper heads, but in our tests some have been perfectly effective. Modes are increasingly a big deal, giving you different speeds and patterns optimised for whitening, deep cleaning or sensitive teeth and gums. It’s not clear that all of these make a huge amount of difference, but having a slower, gentler mode that you can switch to a faster, more intense mode can be useful when you’re getting used to a new brush. However, some toothbrushes drain their batteries faster than others, so if you haven’t got a convenient power socket in or near the bathroom, then you might want to look at a model that can handle a few weeks without a refuel.
“I recommend [the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush to my patients who want to try power before they commit to a higher-priced brush,” Doniger said. This brush features dual-action technology that the brand says combines a side-to-side bristle movement with a spinning movement. The brush head’s bristles fade in color over time to remind you to replace it, the brand oral b braun toothbrush says. You can purchase multiple different types of replacement brush heads for this electric toothbrush, which will typically cost you about $9 for a pack of two. “I like that this electric toothbrush has a circular spinning brush head so I can just hold it over my teeth instead of moving it side to side,” said Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz.
People with sensitive teeth know all about spending too much time brushing too lightly to avoid tooth and gum pain. The Oral-B iO Series 5’s multiple sensitivity modes and built-in light-up pressure sensor allow you to get the coverage you need in the two-minute timeframe you want. When shopping for an electric toothbrush, you should also consider what accessories it comes with. Travel cases are great spots to keep your toothbrush, whether you’re on the road or just at home.
Higher-priced Oral-B models don’t have much more to offer than our pick when it comes to overall brushing experience. Investing $50 into the Pro 1000 gets you access to the same range of brush heads as buying the $240 Oral-B Genius 8000, a “smart” brush, for example. Powered brushes typically cost about 10 times as much as manual toothbrushes, and you have to replace the brush heads at the same frequency (every three months), each for about the same cost as a manual brush. He would recommend brushes from dentist-approved brands Oral-B, Phillips and Colgate, but there are some interesting new challenger brands on the market, as you will have seen above.
While theoretically that might produce a deeper clean, I don’t think it did that for me. The newest offering from Philips’ legendary Sonicare range, this lived up to its predecessors, leaving all of our testers with a thorough, fresh clean. What’s more, the majority also saw a visible reduction in plaque, which should earn some brownie points with the dentist. I also fixed my Genius X but without needing to replace the fuse – just pushing down hard on it whilst the device was activated (main brushing light on) and it suddenly came to life. Not sure what failure mode of a fuse explains this behaviour but worth a go as it saves shorting the fuse or waiting a long time for a replacement part. By following these simple steps, you can easily remove and replace the brush head of your Oral-B Braun toothbrush.
“If you brush really well with an [unconnected] toothbrush, you don’t need any of these devices,” said Wolff, who has provided dental care for people with various disabilities for longer than 40 years. Downloading the Oral B App onto your smartphone opens up new realms of possibility for the Oral-B 9000 and 8000. Both these toothbrushes can “talk” to your smartphone and register a whole raft of information on there. The Oral-B app alerts you if you are brushing too hard, sets up a system of rewards to make sure you brush 2 minutes twice a day and even records which days you have missed automatically. It is overall a great habit forming app and an advantage that Oral-B has over many of it’s competitors. Choosing the best electric toothbrush could make a tangible difference to your general health as well as giving you a better smile.
Don’t be put off by the high price, it’s quite literally always on a discount. Oral-B’s entry- and mid-level models, like the Pro 1000 or the Smart 3000, don’t feature a similar streamlined design as Sonicare, and they also look and feel a little more plastic-y. While Sonicare’s toothbrushes have grippy bodies, Oral-B toothbrushes feature ridges oral b genius toothbrush to aid in grip, which also take away from the aesthetic. The higher-end Oral-B toothbrushes start to develop a better look, with a design that we argue starts to enter Sonicare territory. We’re talking about toothbrushes here, but design is still important, especially if your toothbrush is displayed out in the open in your bathroom.
The Oral-B Genius 6000 has Bluetooth connectivity and many of the in-app features of other models. But, especially for travel, we found the real-time light-up pressure guide a great (and instant) way to maintain uniform coverage daily, without needing to access a daily report card. If a simple dental-care routine is your thing, or you’re an electric toothbrush newcomer, the Oral-B Pro 1000 is a great option. Its less-is-more functionality combined with its accessible price point makes it a super place to enter the world of electric brushing. Don’t let the small round brush head fool you — it still managed to clean every part of our mouth because it can easily maneuver its way in and behind teeth, thus removing stubborn plaque and bacteria.