HomeHealth ProductsOral Health ProductsSonicare FlexCare Plus Sanitizer HX6992/10 (DENTAL PROFESSIONAL MODEL) PLUS Waterpik Power Flosser |
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9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Compared to Oral-B; good choice for kids and braces... Oct 02, 2011
By Nathaniel Allen
I've been using the Braun / Oral-B toothbrushes for a number of years, along with my wife and (most recently) 2½ year-old son. After recently switching the family to a new dentist, we were given a Sonicare FlexCare Plus as an incentive / thank-you gift.
Before I knew about the Sonicare I'd be taking home, the hygienist and I discussed the challenges of cleaning around my braces, as well as Oral-B with respect to smaller mouths and my young son's brushing. He's been successfully using the Oral B for at least six months, but something short of a year.
Rest assured, these two brands are very different tooth brushes, despite their somewhat similar looks. The Sonicare FlexCare produces a very high frequency pulsation through the brush head that "vibrates" my teeth clean, as opposed to the Braun that is much more of a brute-force type "tooth scrubber." The slender, low-profile, angled head of the Sonicare has a few notable benefits: it more easily reaches "under" my braces (i.e. from the narrow space next to my gums, vertically into the crevices between orthodontic fixtures and my teeth), and into the back of my mouth, in the area behind my back teeth. The Junior-sized brush head is a better fit for my son's small mouth.
In contrast, the more athletic Oral-B head does a better job of removing larger and/or stickier food particles caught between my teeth -- for instance, when brushing right after a meal -- and is certainly more comfortable. You see, the downfall of the Sonicare is that it potentially tickles and shocks. Not everyone (I don't mind it), but my wife has used it exactly once before proclaiming "It Hurts!" (though she swears she'll try it again), and my son who LOVES the Oral B is a little resistant to the Sonicare, especially when I try to go in and do a once-over to ensure he brushed everything.
The Sonicare does in face tickle or buzz annoyingly if I close my lips or teeth on it, or even angle it wrong while brushing the back of my mouth and allow the stem of the brush head to contact any of my front teeth. But in my opinion, this is something quickly learned to avoid doing.
Both brushes feature 30 second / 2 minute interval timers that "pulse" the brush head to signal time to switch to the next quadrant of my mouth. The Sonicare goes so far as to turn off after two minutes (in the standard brushing mode). Brushing technique varies slightly, as the Sonicare takes less pressure against my teeth. In fact, one study I read estimated the Sonicare needs only a third of the pressure that the Oral-B requires, though that same study also found the Sonicare to cause more enamel wear (though not significant enough to recommend one over the other). When I use the Sonicare, I like to use it along my gum line. When using the Oral B, I find it particularly effective against the top of molars.
In making this comparison between Sonicare and Oral B, I don't favor one over the other. I'm keeping and using both. The Sonicare isn't as good as removing larger food particles, but I do like the way it *feels* (subjective) against my gums and how it works with my braces. I've frequently been using both brushes before bed (Oral-B first, mouthwash, then the Sonicare) for a truly clean feeling mouth, rather than brushing for 4 minutes with just the Oral B (which I would do a few times a week). Whether or not this results in any actual improvement to my oral health remains to be seen, but I can't see it being detrimental.
On that note, I should mention that the Oral-B's we've owned have a limited lifespan (about 3 years) based on battery life, where eventually they become so weak that they're useless. I'm assuming the same will be true of the Sonicare. So alternating between two toothbrushes may cost more up front, but may actually double the lifespan of each unit due to the reduced number of recharge cycles. Owning two also allows my wife or I to take one when we travel, while still having one at home for the other to use.
IF I had to choose only one of the two, I'd most likely pick the Oral B -- it's more comfortable (which is certainly an important factor for establishing a good brushing routine with our son), it's better with bigger food particles, and I've had no cavities in the 6 years I've been using it (not to say the same wouldn't be true if I'd been using the Sonicare for that time, instead). The Oral-B also has the advantage of less expensive replacement brush heads, though the price difference isn't substantial when buying in bulk, and spread out over the course of a year.
 Sonicare toothbrush Apr 24, 2012
By Gloria J. Haydock
"G Murphy"
My dentist is now giving my teeth a rave review as
I have alot of plaque build up. Easy to use and love the timer
don't have to think about when to stop brushing and if it's doing
it job the proof is in my check ups
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