For people with physical or neurological issues that can complicate oral hygiene, the habit-tracking and coaching support that smart toothbrushes provide can be priceless. “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. The pressure sensor is meant to alert you when you’re brushing too hard, which experts agree is a bad thing. Some people find sensors that buzz or light up when they apply too much pressure helpful. You’ll know if you tend to brush too hard if your toothbrush bristles flare out in less than three months. Higher-priced Oral-B models don’t have much more to offer than our pick when it comes to overall brushing experience.
All Sonicare toothbrushes are clinically proven to deliver a superior clean compared to a manual toothbrush. Regardless of what type of toothbrush you use, when bristles become frayed and worn, they may oral b toothbrush heads lose their effectiveness. Some toothbrush heads change color or fade to indicate when it is time to change them. “I always recommend that everyone uses soft bristle toothbrushes,” says Dr. Horowitz.
Philips Sonicare’s 9900 Prestige is the brand’s top-of-the-line smart toothbrush. It connects to your phone—to track your brushing habits—and has extraneous cleaning modes. The replacement brush heads for the 4100 are slightly more expensive when compared with Oral-B’s, making this brush costlier over the long run.
The rounded, angled bristles clean deep between teeth and along the gum line, while the gum stimulators help improve blood flow—leaving you with healthy, happy gums. The bristles are set at a 16-degree angle to reach those hard-to-get-at spots better than straight bristles. Our tester noted the toothbrush left her teeth feeling clean and polished after a two-minute brushing session. Overall, our tester thinks this is a quality electric toothbrush with an affordable price tag. Its simplistic design makes it easy to use, and the included charging base keeps it neatly stored on your countertop. We often dismiss battery-operated toothbrushes for not being as effective as their chargeable counterparts, but Philips proved us wrong.
While it doesn’t have any extra features like a tongue or cheek cleaner, the Dr. Collins Perio Toothbrush makes up for it in terms of simplicity and freshness. Made from polyester instead of nylon, the bristles are less likely to harbor bacteria and hold up longer to wear and tear. The oral b braun toothbrush only disadvantage our tester noticed was the slightly awkward handle design, which may take some adjusting. Fortunately, the Colgate Extra Clean Full Head Toothbrush comes in three different bristle options (soft, medium, and hard), so you can choose the one that’s right for you.
And its compact head can maneuver into the back of the mouth for a thorough clean. The Nimbus Extra Soft Toothbrush retains less water than standard nylon bristles, so it doesn’t break down as quickly and can maintain its shape for longer. While it lacks a tongue or cheek cleaner, our testing team still recommends this toothbrush for anyone seeking an incredibly soft option. This sleek matte black option comes with carbon-coated bristles, designed to gently remove discolouration, which our testers found did just that.
Over the past eight years we’ve tested, and in many cases retested, more than three dozen different electric toothbrushes. We assessed what it’s like to use each brush twice daily over several months and—for our picks—years. This involved timing brushing sessions and battery lives, replacing brush heads (every three months, or more frequently as needed), and cleaning the handles and charging stands. To stress-test each brush shortly after unboxing, we dropped it onto a tile floor from chest height and submerged it in water while running for a full two-minute brushing cycle.
If you’re doing it right, you should spend at least 28 minutes a week brushing your teeth. An electric toothbrush can help you achieve a deep clean more so than a manual toothbrush, experts told us. It scrubs away biofilm that can later turn to plaque, and it makes achieving the American Dental Association’s oral b genius toothbrush recommended two minutes of brushing with toothpaste even more simple, and perhaps, delightful. Cleaning modes generally don’t matter, according to experts we spoke with and research we’ve seen. A “sensitive” mode may help people who find a brush’s normal oscillations or vibrations too jarring.
Though connecting to the Oral-B app didn’t offer a whole lot of insights beyond the timer, battery life indicator, and brushing coverage, the reward medals for a job well done add a little fun to your everyday chore. It’s also worth noting that the handy timer buzzers only work when you’re not using the app. Studies suggest electric toothbrush users have healthier gums and less tooth decay than manual brushers. Check out our tried and tested round-up of the best electric toothbrushes you can buy right now. With AI-powered 3D teeth tracking, an interactive colour display, pressure sensors and seven smart modes, the spec list for Oral-B’s flagship could be mistaken for an advanced military robot.