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The Philips Sonicare Protective Clean Plaque Control 4100 is one of the top-selling electric toothbrushes in the world.
There’s a good reason for this. Along with Oral-B, Sonicare has long been favored by dental professionals for the superior cleaning experience of its products.
These features include:
These features, particularly the timer and pacer, are key to the value of an electric toothbrush.
Dental professionals agree it takes two minutes to brush your teeth adequately.1 However, most Americans only brush for 45 seconds, leading to plaque buildup and cavities.4 The pacer and timer ensure good brushing habits.
One problem many people encounter when switching from a manual toothbrush to an electric is improper use. People either brush too hard or fail to replace the brush heads when they get worn out. Both can damage enamel and cause oral health issues.6
Pressure sensors and a reminder system like BrushSync help prevent these issues. These are just as important as the timer and pacer, but less common, providing the 4100 added value.
A Sonicare Protective Clean 4100 kit comes with the following:
The American Dental Association (ADA) has given the Protective Clean 4100 its Seal of Acceptance, meaning the brush can effectively remove plaque and prevent cavities.1
Anyone looking to upgrade from a manual toothbrush will find the Protective Clean a good option. The brush has many essential features needed in an electric toothbrush, as well as some helpful extras.
The Sonicare Protective Clean 4100 compares well to the Oral-B Pro 1000. Both brushes come with the ADA Seal of Acceptance and will clean your teeth exceptionally well. However, each comes with its own advantages.
Here’s where each brush excels:
Sonicare has always emphasized aesthetics slightly more than Oral-B, and the Protective Clean is no exception.
The Protective Clean is pleasing to the eye, in contrast to the relatively clunky-looking Pro 100. In addition, the Sonicare brush is also much quieter, whereas the Pro 1000 is quite noisy.
In Oral-B’s favor, the Pro 1000 weighs slightly less — just under half a pound — than the Protective Clean’s 0.79 lbs.
The Pro 1000 costs less in terms of both the retail price and long-term ownership. On Amazon, the Oral-B is currently selling for $40. Meanwhile, the Protective Clean retails for $70 — a significant difference.
The cost of replacement heads also varies for the two brushes.
An official brush head for the Protective Clean costs $9 ($1 for generic). The Pro 1000 brush head costs significantly less at $5.50 ($0.75 for generic).
The Oral-B is a more affordable brush in the short- and long-term.
The Protective Clean has two weeks of battery life on a full charge. This is more than Pro 1000, which lasts anywhere from a week to 10 days.
Some reports have even placed the Protective Clean’s battery life at well over two weeks, but even with the official stats, the Protective Clean has a significant advantage.
Oral-B brush heads tend to be smaller than the oval brush heads favored by Sonicare. These toothbrushes are a bit easier to maneuver in your mouth.
Many people, especially those with small mouths, say they find Oral-B toothbrushes more comfortable to brush with.
The Protective Clean offers more features than the Pro 1000. In addition to BrushSync, its pressure sensor also emits a noise to alert you when you're brushing too hard.
The Pro 1000 also has a pressure sensor, but it’s silent. It only slightly reduces the intensity if you press down too hard.
The Protective Clean 4100 also comes with EasyStart, which slowly ramps the vibration intensity over the first two weeks of ownership. This is ideal for electric toothbrush beginners, who may find the intensity of the vibrations a bit overwhelming.
Overall, the Sonicare Protective Clean 4100 is better-designed and slightly more advanced than the Pro 1000. However, the Oral-B is also a good choice due to its lower cost and slightly more comfortable brushing experience.
For more information on the Oral-B Pro 1000, read our review here.
If you’re looking for an electric toothbrush with slightly more features than a strictly level model, the Sonicare Protective Clean 4100 is a good choice. It has all the essentials plus some helpful additions other brushes in its price range don’t offer.
The brush comes with just one cleaning mode (called Clean Mode). This is fine for its price point since the 4100 is a basic Sonicare model. It makes the brush simple to use and is all most people will need.
However, more experienced users may find this off-putting. Those with small mouths or sensitive teeth might also want to consider alternatives like the Sonicare Essence.
The overwhelming majority of Amazon reviews for the Protective Clean are positive. Most praise is directed toward the various helpful features like the timer, pacer, and pressure sensor.
Negative reviews of the 4100 focus on the intensity of the vibrations. The 4100 vibrates at 31,000 brush strokes per minute (BPM). This can be overwhelming for someone used to manual or even electric toothbrushes.
It’s unclear how many of these users took advantage of EasyStart, but this is something to keep in mind.
Here are some pros of the Sonicare Protective Clean 4100:
Cons include:
The Sonicare line of brushes is known for its reliability. This appears to hold with the Protective Clean.
The brush is water-resistant, and the handle appears durable and well-constructed. It’s also backed by a two-year warranty.
The NewMouth editorial team analyzed dozens of different products available today to determine the available products.
Our evaluation and recommendations are based on:
NewMouth is a leading and trusted online resource for dental information, including product recommendations, primary dental care, at-home oral health care, orthodontics, procedures, costs, and more.
We have a dedicated team of medical writers, expert researchers, licensed dental professionals, and medical reviewers who create and oversee every piece of content published on our site.
Our recommendations are determined by:
After extensive research and product testing, this article also underwent an intensive review process:
Any toothbrush head made by Philips will fit a Sonicare brush.
No, but it is water-resistant. Refrain from using it in the shower but if it gets wet it should be fine.
Both have their merits. Click here for a full review of the differences between the two brands.
Dentists recommend changing out your brush head every three months.
Store the brush and handle separately after use. This allows each component to dry completely.
The Protective Clean 4100 offers multiple useful features, including ones not yet standard to electric toothbrushes. BrushSync, EasyStart, and the pressure sensor all add value to what is already a solid brush. The cleaning performance and battery life are also standouts.
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