Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush, Plaque Control, Black

Product Information

Some variance in the battery life will come as a result of the different cleaning modes that run for longer and brushing intensities, but I achieved 20 days on the 3 minute long Gum Care mode and 37 with the 2 minute long Clean mode. That is quite a bit longer than 2 weeks. The differences between each model relate more to everyday use and helping you to get the best from your oral care routine. According to the ADA, powered toothbrushes are most helpful to people with limited dexterity because of age or disability, or people who have dental appliances. This is because the movement of the brush head provides good brushing technique everywhere that it reaches, while manual brushing can be suboptimal in hard-to-reach areas, or difficult for some people. Oral-B’s longest lasting toothbrush brush lasts about 16 days. This is quite disappointing in comparison. USB connectivity allows us to take advantage of powering it from more sources such as a computer or portable battery bank. It does also make it more travel friendly too.

But the technique is different for the different technologies too. The correct way to use an Oral-B toothbrush is different to a Sonicare. So, whilst the studies may suggest Oral-B is better, if someone used a Sonicare with the correct technique, compared to an Oral-B user with the incorrect technique, the Sonicare would likely perform better for that user. The motion of a Sonicare toothbrush is known as ‘sonic vibration', which is created by a high-powered motor in the handle. This motor emits a frequency that causes the bristles of the brush to move from side to side about 31,000 times per minute.Your toothbrush may come with different modes and settings. Once a mode is selected, the toothbrush works for a specific time period and then turns off automatically. The advantage of electric toothbrushes isn't that they do what manual brushes cannot. Rather, they make it much easier and more efficient for users to properly clean every part of the mouth. Oral-B and Sonicare alternative Don’t worry if you end up activating the pressure sensor occasionally, I still do. You just want to correct frequent forceful brushing. Reminds you when your brush head needs replacing Having thoroughly tested both of the ranges, I recommend Oral-B electric toothbrushes, specifically the Oral-B Pro 3 3500, as the best value and overall top choice.

The Philips A3 Premium All-in-One brush head provides complete care for your teeth, mouth and gums. It features angled bristles with a curved profile and triangular tips that remove up to 20x more plaque and 100% more stains than a manual toothbrush. Gum health improves up to 15x than it would with a manual brush. These heads also feature a blue color that fades away when its time to switch heads.The brush head on a sonic brush is a lot like a manual toothbrush in its size and shape. It covers several teeth at the same time, and is oval shaped.

As you can see, the 4100 offers just 1 cleaning mode compared to the 3 cleaning modes of the 5100 and 6100. The reason behind this power difference primarily is the battery technology used. Sonicare have for a long time been using the more desirable lithium-ion batteries whereas Oral-B have only just begun using lithium and although improved from older standards have not quite perfected it yet like Philips. The 2 minute timer on Oral-B is a longer/different pause pattern whereas with Sonicare the brush usually automatically turns off. Nether are essential, but both go a long way in making sure you clean your teeth for the right amount of time. Trial Period I have to be upfront and say I cannot give a 100% confirmation of an accurate answer, as Sonicare does not provide any clear information on the number of movements/brush strokes for different cleaning mode and brushing intensities. I have event asked their support team and they were unable to confirm what power each mode used.Typically Sonicare brushes last for 2 or more weeks. 3 weeks is the average, with some lasting as long as 5 weeks between charges, and that is with twice daily use. Place your handle on the charger. If you see the battery indicator light blinking or if you hear a beep it means it is charging. If certain modes the toothbrush will sound louder, and if the highest level of brushing intensity has been set, this will increase the pitch of the sound. As differences go between these electric toothbrushes, the reality is that there are not that many, there are many more similarities. The Sonicare equivalent to the Pro 3 3500 is the ProtectiveClean 4300. It does compete well and is a good alternative, but for superior value, Oral-B is the winner.

However, the 4300 Series (HX3684/23) comes with 2 x C2 Optimal Plaque Control brush head rather than 1. Plus, a slim travel case is provided in the box. The obvious difference with the 4000 Series is the handle is slimmer and lighter than the ProtectiveClean family of toothbrushes. No clinical studies or comparisons have been made and I would believe the possible differences or improvements between each to be clinically insignificant. If your toothbrush has the option to, you may wish to change the cleaning mode selected. Different brushing modes use varying amounts of power from the brush motor causing more or less intense vibrations at the brush head. But, the 4000 Series motor has been tuned so that the ‘amplitude’ (the distance covered or the sweep angle of the bristles) is higher.

Value

Both of these brushes offer the latest in features and connectivity from each brand. They also have a pretty high asking price but promise an unprecedented level of personalized cleaning. So, how do they compare? Design Where you get a large visible light on many Oral-B brushes, you don’t on the 4100. Technically the BrushSync replacement reminder LED also flashes amber. Given its position and size, it is not the easiest to see. We also have separate buying guides on Oral-B brush heads and Sonicare brush heads that explain the difference between the brushes. Whilst all these features are great, there is one thing that many of us, myself included forget or overlook and that is how we use them. It is all very well having 6 cleaning modes, but what is the point if we only use them once or twice. Most of us fall into the trap of just using the standard ‘Clean’ mode most of the time. We either forget about the others or simply don’t bother.