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Electric Toothbrush - Oral-B, Sonicare?

shannonplus2
14 years ago

I hope this subject is not considered too OT, but it does concern a bathroom item (where else do you brush your teeth?). Anyway, my dentist has been recommending for a long time that DH and I use an electric toothbrush for better plaque removal. The dentist didn't give a recommendation on brand, except to say he does NOT prefer the sonic style of electric toothbrush.

So, I went online, and quickly became overwhelmed by the selection just for the two companies, Oral-B and Sonicare. They each have A LOT of different models, and they all seem kind of the same! I also wanted one with just one stand that would charge two toothbrushes, but I only saw single chargers, which I thought was weird. Are we going to need a lot of counterspace real estate because we need two of these?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to model number, or know if one brand is better than the other?

Comments (8)

  • pepperidge_farm
    14 years ago

    OOh OOh I have an opinion!!

    Actually got turned on to electric toothbrush by DH, used a sonicare for years, I got one, thought it was the cat's meow!

    Then received a complimentary Oral B "Professional" (the really expensive one with a timer etc) and used one of the brushes- the "floss" brush, and OMG it was fantastic at cleaning my teeth! My next cleaning, even the hygienist noticed!

    I don't use the timer, all the "extras" that make is so pricey, and I think a basic model, but with that brush would be "the same".

    That's my 2 cents!!

  • braytonak
    14 years ago

    I've used a Sonicare brush for years. We have a pair of them. Why would you necessarily want a charger that can charge both brushes at the same time? You're not supposed to leave the brush on the charger all the time because that will just destroy the batteries. Our current brushes are over a year old and still doing about two weeks on one charge. When one brush gets low, we leave it on the charger until it's finished (replacing it after use). Then the other will run low, so it will have a turn on the charger.

    I've never used the Oral-B flavor. I don't think a mechanical brush is going to be as effective as an eletronic style. (A motor moving the head vs electromagnets.)

    It is possible for an electric brush to be too harsh on your gums, so you do have to use them gently on the gums and then at an angle on the sides of your teeth. My hygienist said the brush should be held still, but I move mine around gently to ensure the bristles are touching all the surfaces. It does seem to help toughen up the gums so they don't bleed so easily when flossing.

  • jjaazzy
    14 years ago

    It will take a while to get use to it. It tickles at first and when I use mine I put a wash cloth over my mouth to keep things in check you will see why. It is great when you use it your teeth feel so clean. I have sonic and my son has the fancy oral b. He has been doing better with his check ups and believe me that kid has a Mercedes and a few plasma TVs in his mouth.

  • monicakm_gw
    14 years ago

    Love, L O V E my SoniCare! I would be interested why your dentist doesn't prefer the "sonic style". My mother bought mine for me for Christmas about 5 years ago and I'm still thanking her for it :) Mine has a timer. It stops after 2 minutes of brushing. Sometime I'll run it another two mintues just because it's relaxing and feels so good. I can't compare it to other brands as it's the only one I've ever had. braytonak is right. You aren't supposed to leave the toothbrush on the charger. It's best to deplete the charge before recharging.
    Monica

  • rayrose
    14 years ago

    I bought the sonicare e 5000 at the suggestion of my periodontist. He prefers soniccare over oral b because sonic has an internal self governor that restricts the brush from placing too much presure on your teeth. Also the instruction booklet that came with my brush recommends that you always keep the sonicare in the charger, when not in use, in order to maintain a full battery charge.

  • esjbee
    14 years ago

    I love my Sonicare.

    Sonicare disturbs more biofilm than Oral B and it causes the least wear and tear on your teeth over time.

    The new FlexCare model has a redesigned brush head that is more user friendly and you don't have to worry about holding it at a 45 degree angle.

    The new Sonicare's can be left on the charger, but the older ones should not.

    They are discontinuing the previous models, but will continue to sell the brush heads. You should see some good sales on them soon.

    I think they have a 30 day money back guarantee. It is probably on their website.

  • shannonplus2
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I am following up on this thread finally (I was distracted by other things). Thank you all for your advice. I think I am going to get the Sonicare. One of my concerns is sensitive gums, so I think the Sonicare may be a better bet.

    I was looking at the version Pippit mentioned, the Flexcare model (Model R910), but am a bit taken aback by the price. The cheapest I saw was $99 on Amazon. Ebay has plenty of them for sale, in the $50-75 range, but I am unsure if those eBay models would be "seconds" or something, and whether Sonicare's warranty would apply on an eBay item. BTW, the Sonicare's 2-year warranty is impressive--it seems that most everything these days only is warrantied for 1 year.

    Well, I will have to consider whether I want to spend $99 on an electric toothbrush. Thanks everybody.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    We are a sonicare family.
    My mouth feels so clean. I even take it when traveling.
    Check with your dentist - the price was at least as good as B3
    We did have some brush failures from the old style brushes so switched to the newer style.

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