Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush, Plaque Control, Black

Product Information

Whilst both brands typically are designed to resist water and can safely be rinsed under the tap and used in the shower, neither brand would really recommend or advise prolonged exposure to water and certainly advise against immersion/submersion in water. Timers The iO uses micro-vibrations and oscillating/rotating movements for an optimal clean. It has seven brushing modes — daily clean, whiten gum care, sensitive, super sensitive, intense, and tongue clean. Price

Whilst high standards of manufacturing are achieved by Sonicare, the nature of the product does mean that there is the potential for things to go wrong. Therefore if you are on a budget, the 1100 proves itself to be best value. Over 3 years, however, the premium for the 4100 isn’t that significant.

Conclusion

According to the ADA, powered toothbrushes are most helpful to people with limited dexterity because of age or disability, or people who have dental appliances. This is because the movement of the brush head provides good brushing technique everywhere that it reaches, while manual brushing can be suboptimal in hard-to-reach areas, or difficult for some people. The reason I believe that Sonicare is the best quality overall is because of the feel and performance in hand. Sonicare, to me at least feel more robust and premium, the plastics look and feel stronger and the overall experience is that more effort and attention to detail has been put into the product. Overall, research does support the Oral B technology as being better at removing plaque than the Sonicare technology. There are individual studies in favour of each respective company. Both are better than using a manual toothbrush.

Does the vibration of your toothbrush change momentarily while brushing, but still continues to vibrate? If yes, this means the time pacer or the pressure sensor is on. Ultimately, all of the brushes will provide a very good clean to the teeth and gums if used correctly. The Sonicare equivalent to the Pro 3 3500 is the ProtectiveClean 4300. It does compete well and is a good alternative, but for superior value, Oral-B is the winner.

A W DiamondClean head used on the cleaning mode might not be as effective as when used on the ‘White’ mode. At the time of writing both Sonicare and Oral-B have about 15 different models each in their ranges.