Oral-B Pulsonic Slim Luxe 4500 Electric Sonic Toothbrush for Healthier Gums in 4 Weeks, 3 Cleaning Programmes Including Sensitive, Timer, 2 Replacement Brushes, Travel Case, Black

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On the subject of cleaning modes, the Genius 9000 has an extra brushing mode known as ‘Tongue Cleaning’ mode. This is a cycle that lasts for 20 seconds with 7300 oscillations and 30,000 pulsations and designed for as the name suggests, cleaning the tongue. There is not much difference in the size and weight all told, only a few grams but sit them side by side and we think that most would prefer the in-hand feeling of the Smart 5. Oral-B iO™ with revolutionary iO™ technology is the latest Oral-B electric toothbrush. After six years of research and over 250 patents, Oral-B iO™ sets the new standard of brushing performance, experience, and design. Experience a deep but uniquely gentle clean with a new frictionless magnetic drive. It directs all energy to the bristles to generate new micro-vibrations. The result is Oral-B’s best ever clean: 6x more effective plaque removal along the gumline for 100% healthier gums in one week.** For me, Sonicare wins because of battery life primarily. With up to 3 weeks on most models, that covers most people for more than enough time when travelling. Just take the brush and no charging stand. With Oral-B, even with the most premium brush, you may need to consider taking a charger for a 2 week holiday. One such independent study was completed by Cochrane in 2020 and they report that there is some evidence that oscillating technology used by Oral-B is more effective.

In the following sections I look more closely at the headline answers I’ve given above. For some of the categories it is not quite as simple as selecting just one brand that is better, so I explain the nuances in more detail below. Which has the best brushing technology? Sometimes toothpaste can build up under the brush head and solidify to quite a tight bond. Then, when the brush head is ready to be replaced, it can break when removing it to leave this piece behind. To prevent this, we recommend the cleaning and maintenance routine noted in the manual. If the noise of the brush is particularly important to you, take a look at our article, what’s the quietest electric toothbrush which includes decibel readings to show how loud or quiet popular brush models are. Which has the most accessories? Some extra life is achieved by Sonicare I believe via the quieter and possibly more efficient motor as well as the automatic power off feature, something Oral-B does not have. Which is the most innovative?The brush head on a sonic brush is a lot like a manual toothbrush in its size and shape. It covers several teeth at the same time, and is oval shaped. This is clearly personal preference. Some people will want to feel the clean, whilst others may find it overbearing. The Pro 3 3000 has a slightly revised design. It looks a little cleaner. Unlike the 2000, it does not have a rubber grip that runs the length of the brush handle. Instead, the only grip on the front is the panel that contains the power button. Oral-B’s iO range is quieter than most other Oral-B models, but it is still on average about 10 decibels louder than Sonicare. As you move up the Oral-B range, the brushes become more expensive, but they do come with additional features and accessories. We regard these as “nice-to-have” rather than essential.

Oral-B do offer a better warranty, 2 years as standard with an optional 3rd year if you register online. This shows confidence in the product that Sonicare does not. What propels Sonicare forward is BrushSync, which I explain in detail here, but essentially it is a 2 part system that alerts you when it is time to change your brush head and selects the most suitable cleaning mode, based on the brush head fitted to the handle.You will notice some brushes occur twice from the same manufacturer. This is intentional and happens because of the cross over of features between the two manufacturers. I don’t have the figures of the number of oscillations and pulsations on the older Pro 5000 available to give confirmation of the power difference. And add to this, there have been various iterations of the 5000 over the years, so it would be important to find out the exact one to say 100%. Clinical studies such as this onesuggest a marked difference in the clean offered by the oscillating rotating brush compared to the sonic option. Typically Sonicare brushes last for 2 or more weeks. 3 weeks is the average, with some lasting as long as 5 weeks between charges, and that is with twice daily use.