i'm thinking about buying a sonicare toothbrush?

Question

but there are so many models out there. which one should i buy? is there even really a big difference between all of them?

Answer 1

I've used the Elite, Essence and Advance. They claim it whitens teeth (I saw a difference within 2 weeks, even my hygenist said I didn't need bleaching), to shrink periodontal pockets and to improve overall gum health. Boasts 31,000 strokes per minute. They also give you a money back guarantee if for any reason you aren't satisfied.

Sonicare Advance: It is the longest one they have out and I believe the 2nd lowest price one. I used that for years. Your basic model. A two min shut off timer. Not much bells and whistles. It claims to remove 80% of stains in 28 days and improves gum health.

Sonicare Essence: It uses the same head as the Elite. Which essentially means they both brush the same. Only the handle is different plus extras. The bristles are curvier than the Advance. It has a 2 min shut off. Has an Easy Start feature. It builds up in power for the first 12 brushes. Can be turned off/on.
Sonicare Elite: This is the one at see at dental offices. Has a 30 second beep timer to let you know when to move on to the next side of teeth and a dual speed. The cradle is also diff from the Essence.

The Intelliclean has all the bells and whistles. Has a compartment to store the toothpaste and while you are brushing, releases a certain amount. You will have to buy the specially packaged toothpastes to fit the compartment. Or go with just reg toothpaste on the head but if you do that then might as well buy the other Sonicares, lol. More rounded to fit your hand. The brushes are more compact. Thirty second timer with 2 minute shut off. And has dual speed. But also more expensive than the other ones. This is also the one I see some dentists offer.

All mentioned, except for the Advance, has the tilted neck. So you don't have to do much to reach the back teeth. A huge plus. Also, longer bristles at each end to reach between teeth.

There is also the Sonicare Extreme. It's marketed mostly to teenagers. This is the cheapest one they offer. At around $30. Uses batteries and a good way to try it out w/o going to $100 for the others.

They come with travel accessories or tooth brush stand. But mines are just in the closet so I didn't mention those. Be sure to brush gently and let it do the work. If you have troubl, use 3 fingers or 2 to hold it. It took me a while to get use to it and I brushed too hard. No scrubbing and don't overbrush. It's the best toothbrush I've found. I've used Oral B, Panasonic, Colgate, Crest and each check-up, scratch, scrape. At my last checkup, instead of the usual scratch, scrape, it took less than 5 mins and I was done. My hygenist even said she's amazed at my improvement! =)

Answer 2

I use the SoniCare Elite. It has a nice, compact head and has some really nice features (like extended brushing time if you want it). The SoniCare is exclusive in the number of, well, for lack of a better term, revolutions per second. It out performs any of the other mechanical brushes on the market to date.
I started using mine when I was wearing braces, and will never go back to a manual brush. It packs well, and holds a charge long enough to take on vacations.

Answer 3

Yes, there are lots of clinical studies showing that Sonicare is better than using a manual toothbrush. Get the Sonicare Essence (cost about $50).

Answer 4

I know! So many models! Took me few months to research!

Actually, most electric toothbrushes are good for everyday use. I got Oral-B Vitality for only $12 (sale + coupon). I love it. It's got a timer and it's rechargable.

I read on Consume Reports that the problem about electric toothbrushes is that we don't brush long enough. So get one with a timer.

Need to consider the size and the way you use it. If it's too heavy, you might not want to hold it too long, which defect the purpose. I like rechargable ones, but the charging station takes up counter space. Battery ones are simple and best for travel, but replacing batteries can be expensive in the long run.

You also need to consider the refills. Are they expensive? Can you buy them easily?

Answer 5

My dentist recommends the Sonicare one. It has an AC charger for built-in batteries. It beeps after you have brushed each quadrant for 30 seconds. It will last for two weeks of twice a day if you take it on a vacation. It is often on sale. A lot of stores sell the replacement brushes that you need to get once or twice a year.

Don't buy one with disposable batteries. Sooner or later you will go to brush your teeth and find that your batteries are dead. You also are wasting a lot of time, money, and landfill disposal space on those batteries.

Answer 6

I am not sure why you feel the need to buy an expensive toothbrush when a battery operated one will do the the job. Call your dentist and get his recommendation on which one to buy.

Answer 7

Panasonic electronic toothbrushes are good ones too, it also depends how much are you willing to spend on a toothbrush, well some people say they do not work as good as your regular manual toothbrush, hope this helps....