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Philips’ Sonicare is one of the most popular electric toothbrush brands on the market today.
With many lines and models available, it can be hard to know which one is right for you.
Here are the major features to look for when choosing a Sonicare brush:
Sonicare refers to its toothbrushes as “sonic brushes.” As the term suggests, they work a little bit differently than other electric toothbrushes.
Most electric toothbrushes oscillate, meaning the bristles move in a circular motion.
Sonicare toothbrushes vibrate side-to-side at high frequencies.
However, there is currently no scientific consensus on which action is better.
Sonicare brush heads vibrate at around 31,000 brush strokes per minute (BPM). This is much faster than many regular electric toothbrushes, which are closer to the 2500-7500 range.
Sonicare claims this helps their brushes remove up to 7x as much plaque as other brands.
Another key feature that sets the Sonicare brand apart is its use of fluid dynamics.
Sonicare brushes use high sonic frequencies to propel toothpaste and water into the gaps between your teeth and into your gum line. This allows for a deeper clean than with conventional electric or manual toothbrushes and helps remove more dental plaque.
Everything We Recommend
Most Recommended by Dentists — Sonicare DiamondClean
Most High-Tech — Sonicare Prestige 9900
Best Value — Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100
Best for Small Mouths — Sonicare Essence
Best for Kids — Sonicare for Kids Powerbrush
Sonicare and Oral-B are the two most popular names in the electric toothbrush industry. Both brands feature a wide array of high-quality products that will get your teeth clean.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each brand.
Benefits of Sonicare electric toothbrushes:
Benefits of Oral-B electric toothbrushes:
All medical content on this site, including this guide and other product reviews, is written by our team of experienced writers and researchers. All NewMouth writers vet products that are recommended and reviewed in the industry. In cases where this is not possible, our team will:
Every piece of content is heavily reviewed before publication. All content on NewMouth is also medically reviewed by a licensed dentist, specifically any content where we recommend products. Our dentists are specifically instructed to flag any recommendations they don’t agree with. Any products that don’t meet their professional standards are removed.
Many of the products we recommend have the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. These products are proven to be effective in preventing gum disease, cavities, and other oral health conditions.
When we recommend products that do not include this seal of acceptance, we conduct further research to ensure reputability. This may include speaking with company leaders, reading hundreds of customer reviews, and ensuring they provide quality customer service.
Here is our review of the top Sonicare electric toothbrushes on the market:
One of the pricier options, the DiamondClean, has long been the flagship product for Sonicare.
This sleek and well-constructed toothbrush tops many lists of best overall electric toothbrushes and is a favorite among dentists’ offices.
Given the impressive features it boasts, it isn’t hard to see why. Features of the DiamondClean include:
There are some drawbacks. Most notably the price: the DiamondClean currently costs $250 on Amazon.
The DiamondClean is not one of the smallest toothbrushes on this list. The charging and brush are both relatively large. However, if you do choose to travel with it, the travel case does double as a portable charger.
The DiamondClean comes with one brush handle, multiple brush heads, and some accessories. It is available in white, black, and pink, amethyst, and rose gold.
One of the pricier options, the DiamondClean, has long been the flagship product for Sonicare.
This sleek and well-constructed toothbrush tops many lists of best overall electric toothbrushes and is a favorite among dentists’ offices.
The Philips’ AI-powered app and patented SenseIQ technology are the brush’s two main selling points. SenseIQ collects data on how fast, hard, long, effectively, and frequently you brush.
Using this data, the AI then makes recommendations in real-time, telling you what areas you missed and automatically logging your sessions to your phone to measure your progress.
It also will automatically adjust the vibration intensity based on how much pressure you are applying while brushing.
Other improvements of the Prestige include:
One area the DiamondClean beats out the Prestige 9900 is battery life. The Prestige 9900 lasts just two weeks to the DiamondClean’s impressive three weeks.
But the main drawback of the Prestige 9900 is the price. There’s no getting around it, the Prestige 9900 is an expensive toothbrush, clocking in at $100 more than the DiamondClean.
But while $350 the price tag may seem steep, when you consider that a cavity filling costs between $200 and $600, the Sonicare Prestige 9900 arguably pays for itself (when used correctly). In time, the Prestige may well replace the DiamondClean as a dentist office standard.
If you’re looking for something that can provide a quality clean that won’t break the bank, the Sonicare Protective Clean is for you.
It comes at an affordable price (just $49), missing the fancy bells and whistles of some of the higher-end models, but with all the essential features you need:
It comes at an affordable price (just $49), missing the fancy bells and whistles of some of the higher-end models, but with all the essential features you need:
Another benefit of the ProtectiveClean 4100 over the preceding two models is that it’s smaller and lighter, weighing in at just 0.79 lbs. This is less than the Prestige’s 0.89 lb and less than half that of the DiamondClean’s 2.26 lbs.
Drawbacks include the lack of Bluetooth technology and increased noise compared to the last two units. Its battery life is also two weeks, which, while good for its price range, is less than the DiamondClean’s impressive three weeks.
It also only has one mode and two levels of intensity. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners, but more experienced electric brushers may want a greater variety of modes.
The ProtectiveClean 4100 also comes with the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, meaning it is proven to effectively prevent cavities and reduce plaque.1
The Essence is one of Sonicare’s other less expensive models and comes with high reviews from its users. Like the Protective Clean, it offers a lot of value for your money.
What’s interesting about the Essence is the slightly bent neck. This makes it easier to reach those molars at the very back of the mouth.
It also has extra-soft and contoured bristles, making for a painless and efficient cleaning experience.
Like the ProtectiveClean, the Essence offers one cleaning mode, a timer, EasyStart, and two-weeks’ battery life. However, it lacks ProtectiveClean’s 30-second pacer, pressure sensor, and BrushSync.
It’s also less elegantly designed than the other models on this list.
If you are looking for something to help clean hard-to-reach areas, this might be the brush for you.
This colorful and Bluetooth-compatible brush is intended to train kids in good brushing habits.
It does this in several ways. The app offers tips on how to brush and fun rewards for repeat sessions. The brush also uses a musical timer to cue the user on when it’s time to move to the next segment of the mouth.
The brush comes with removable stickers and is available in blue or pink
If you have kids, this is an excellent choice.
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