Best Electric Toothbrushes

Oral-B and Sonicare duke it out

In the latest clinical testing, Oral-B electric toothbrushes, with their oscillating/rotating/pulsating action, are found to be most effective in removing plaque. Oral-B toothbrushes work by pulsation (in-and-out movement), rotation and oscillation (side-to-side movement). They also feature a built-in pressure sensor that stops the bristle movement when it detects that you're brushing too hard, something not found in many competitors' models. The Oral-B ProfessionalCare 1000/7400 toothbrush features a two-minute timer with a 30-second beep to signal when to clean another area. It has a long-life battery charge of up to two weeks and indicator bristles that fade halfway when it's time to change the brush head.

While we found good reviews for the ProfessionalCare 1000/7400, we found more reviews for the discontinued Oral-B Triumph ProfessionalCare 9400, now sold as the ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 4000 (*Est. $125), which adds an LCD readout on the handle. It has four brushing modes (daily clean, sensitive, whitening and deep clean). On ElectricToothbrush.com, dentist Lynne Heckert writes that she and her staff use brushes from the Triumph series. Heckert especially likes the brush, which "has a round head with little plastic flaps that seem to get in between teeth well." The technology in this toothbrush includes a microprocessor that tracks the battery charge; it also notifies different users when their brush heads need replacement, and even rewards the user with a smiley face when the recommended two-minute brush time is completed. In a British review, the Oral-B Triumph 9500 (the 9400 is sold as the 9500 in the U.K.) is the second-best unit in the test by Which? magazine and is cited as one of four best buys. Testers summarize the benefits as "excellent battery life, easy to use, good cleaning performance."

The Triumph (now the ProfessionalCare SmartSeries) has received positive mention in several recent reviews, as well as raves from Amazon.com contributors. Another plus is that the Oral-B ProfessionalCare electric toothbrush includes a traveling case with room to hold extra brush heads. It can also retain its charge for up to two weeks, so it's easy to take on vacation. As for negatives, we did read a few complaints that it's bulky and heavy.

The step-up model, the Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide, now the ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 (*Est. $135), builds on the oscillating-rotating technology by including three brush heads (FlossAction, ProWhite and Sensitive), a massage mode and a separate wireless display monitor which tracks brushing time, signals when you're brushing too hard and tells you when it is time to change brush heads. The older Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide receives the best score in the test of 12 electric toothbrushes by Which? magazine; testers like that this brush "has excellent movement over your teeth and an average frequency of sweeps over the teeth." The ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 uses the same handle and main brush head as the slightly cheaper 4000. Though a study at the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice shows that the wireless display does, in fact, improve overall brushing technique, some experts question whether the external display and massage mode really add that much to the package. If these features help motivate you to brush longer, they might be worth it, but since the ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 4000 is functionally the same and costs less, we've chosen to include the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 4000 as our Best Reviewed pick.

Sonicare is the other major player when it comes to electric toothbrushes. Sonicare brushes clean in two ways: with the scrubbing action of the bristles over the teeth and by agitating saliva which then dislodges plaque. In the latest tests, Sonicare is edged out by Braun Oral-B, but in most reviews it's a slim margin.

The Sonicare FlexCare with Sanitizer (*Est. $170) garners much praise. It features a brush head that uses a broad sweeping motion as well as contoured bristles for better tooth coverage. The FlexCare includes a built-in UV sanitizer, which helps keep toothbrush heads clean (and adds to the price). In a video review of seven electric toothbrushes by Good Housekeeping, the Sonicare FlexCare with Sanitizer receives top marks from both testers and a dentist, Denis Vu, who states that "the head is particularly impressive because of its small size." Vu is similarly impressed with the UV sanitizer. Some users at Amazon.com, however, insist that the sanitizer is too much of a bother to use and aren't sure if it's worth the extra cost. If you're concerned about extra germs, it may be worth the investment, but we didn't find any clinical testing to back up the need for a sanitizer. For this reason we chose to include the Sonicare FlexCare (*Est. $140), which is exactly the same minus the sanitizer, as our Best Reviewed pick.

In some user reviews at Amazon.com, owners find the Sonicare FlexCare toothbrush noisy compared with other powered toothbrushes. Even when factoring in the extra noise, however, users give the FlexCare raves. In fact, several owners posting at Amazon.com and Drugstore.com say that the FlexCare is a huge improvement over earlier Sonicare toothbrushes, claiming that it's both lighter and smaller. Several also praise the new brush head that clicks into place rather than screwing on. An easy-start feature gently increases the power of the brush over 14 uses, helping new owners adjust to using a powered brush. (This feature can be deactivated.) The Sonicare FlexCare includes a second, smaller brush for harder-to-reach areas, but it's also ideal for those users with small mouths who find it difficult to effectively reach all the way back with a standard-sized toothbrush head. There's a standard two-minute timer, in addition to a one-minute quick mode and a three-minute "MaxCare" mode that includes a massage feature. The Sonicare FlexCare also prompts you after each 30 seconds of use, so that each quadrant of your mouth gets equal time for maximum benefit.

Some users at Amazon.com point out that the poorly positioned mode button is easy to switch while brushing. Others say that it isn't very durable but insist that Sonicare has excellent customer service and promptly replaces defective brushes. The Sonicare FlexCare comes with a two-year warranty.

Sonicare's latest offering is a rechargeable toothbrush for kids. The Sonicare for Kids (*Est. $70) uses the same sonic technology that Sonicare is known for, but on a gentler scale that's suitable for children aged four to 10. It has two brushes and two power modes, each suitable for various stages of oral development, as well as interchangeable front panels. Reviews at Amazon.com are mostly positive so far, but some say that, due to its size, it's better suited to kids who are age 6 or older.

In the test by Which? magazine, two Sonicare models, the Elite e9500 (*Discontinued) and the Elite e7300 (*Est. $100), are the only brushes that receive perfect scores for overall performance. It's primarily their lower battery life that prevents them from surpassing competitors made by Oral-B. Sonicare still lists the Elite series brushes on its website, but Amazon.com's listings confirm that the Elite series brushes are, in fact, discontinued. Fewer online retailers appear to be carrying them (Amazon.com sells the Sonicare Elites via third-party partners, but only sells the newer Sonicare FlexCare directly.) Staffers at The Wall Street Journal preferred two Sonicare models -- the discontinued Elite and the current FlexCare model -- to the Oral-B Triumph (now SmartSeries).

It is important to note that recent research indicates toothbrushes with rotating/oscillating/pulsating action (like the Oral-B) are slightly more effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis than the Sonicare. In addition, some people dislike the noise made by Sonicare toothbrushes. Still, Sonicare has legions of fans.

Oral-B also makes sonic toothbrushes. The Oral-B Sonic Complete S-200 (*Est. $75) has two brushing modes, and the bristles on the brush are angled in different directions. The Oral-B Sonic Complete S-320 Deluxe (*Est. $85) comes with two brush heads and has three brushing modes: clean, soft and massage (for stimulating gums). Both brushes have two-minute timers with alerts at 30-second intervals. The Oral-B Pulsonic (*Est. $70) is notable for its slim design, comes with one brush head and has two brushing modes (clean and sensitive). In a 2009 clinical assessment, reported in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry, the Oral-B Pulsonic was shown to produce a "highly significant reduction" of extrinsic staining on the teeth. Other informal reviews we found were also very positive.

At Stylelist.com, blogger Cat Lincoln likes the "incredibly cool-looking design" of the Pulsonic and suggests that the sensitive speed makes the brush "an excellent gateway brush for those new to the whole toothbrush-shaking-in-your-mouth thing." For a reviewer on GeekyHousewife.com, "This toothbrush gets pretty close to delivering that overwhelming feeling of clean" you get at the dentist's office. At Amazon.com, several reviewers complain that the brush head twists off the body while the brush is in use. Others don't like that the directions call for the brush to be moved in a circular motion on the teeth. For a few, the brush head is too large.

People who lack the patience to brush their teeth for the recommended two minutes might benefit from the HydraBrush (*Est. $80), which surrounds the teeth with brushes. According to the manufacturer, the HydraBrush can cut the usual brushing time by more than half. It has two different brush heads, one for the top teeth and one for the bottom, and both of these brushes are split to clean the front and back of the teeth simultaneously with a back-and-forth motion. We didn't find many reviews for the HydraBrush; it's not included in any head-to-head tests against other electric toothbrushes.

A writer with multiple sclerosis at INT2View.com claims that the HydraBrush is excellent for people who lack hand strength or dexterity. He states, "The handle is lightweight and easy to maneuver, which is important to me and to anyone experiencing some weakness or fatigue." Reviews at Amazon.com are mostly positive. People appreciate the reduced brushing time, but some reviewers complain that they are not able to reach all parts of their teeth.