Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've used regular toothbrushes my entire life, but at the recommendation of my new dentist, I looked into an electric tooth brush. I asked my dentist if she had a recommendation, but she more or less said that any electric toothbrush will likely be better than a manual toothbrush, but that she personally uses a Sonicare tooth brush that's a few years old. With that in mind, down the rabbit hole if internet researching I went. I wanted something with a pressure sensor. I like to lift heavy things at the gym and have a tendency to strong arm everything, including brushing my teeth which apparently may have contributed to some gum erosion. The current top model Sonicare (DiamondClean Platinum) does not have a pressure sensor. However, the FlexCare Platinum Connected does come with a pressure sensor. Oral-B models from the 1000 up have a pressure sensor. Based on price, I elected to compare the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected to the current top model Oral-B, Genius Pro 8000. First, I asked two friends who are dentists what they prefer. One friend strongly recommended the Sonicare FlexCare+, stating that the top of the line models are not any better. The other provided a similar recommendation to my dentist - either one will be a huge improvement over a manual brush. So slight tilt to the Sonicare at this point. Very slight because not much detail was provided as to why the Sonicare was better. Just a "trust me, get this" endorsement. Next I searched for any studies comparing rotary (Oral-B) to oscillating (Sonicare) power brush heads. I won't post links to all the scientific studies I read, but the are quite a few on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) site. The more recent ones favor rotary brush heads. Point Oral-B. Then I compared features - Pressure Sensor: Oral-B has visible and tactile feedback (flashes light and pulses motor). Sonicare only provides tactile feedback (vibrates handle). Strokes/movements per minute: Oral-B (48,800 movements/min), Sonicare (31,000 strokes/min, 62,000 movements/min) Connected App: Both have some form of app that helps you hit all areas of your mouth consistently Brush Heads: Oral-B has 5 available brush heads and comes with three (cross action, whitening, and sensitive brush heads), Sonicare has 5 available brush heads and comes with two (AdaptiveClean, InterCare) Battery Life: Sonicare claims up to 2 weeks, Oral-B claims up to 12 days Point Oral-B. I then looked up subjective factors. In particular, I was interested in comparing noise levels. I looked up videos on Youtube, and there's no question that the Sonicare has a more pleasant buzzing sound vs. the more mechanical sound of the Oral-B. Point Sonicare. I considered travel convenience since I am on the move a lot. Both come with travel cases. Oral-B is a nicer looking black case. The Oral-B is made by Braun, and the travel charger uses the same kind of plug as my Braun Series 9. Point Oral-B. Finally, cost. Oral-B is cheaper up front by about $50 including all applicable discounts and manufacturer coupons at present. The Oral-B brush heads are also cheaper. Point Oral-B. So, I bought the Oral-B. I have used the app, and while it has some annoyances, the ability to track my toothbrushing habits is cool. I am a tech nerd after all. Reminders for flossing and mouthwash are on by default, but you can disable them. A suction mount to hold your phone on your bathroom mirror is included. I also like that you can setup the app to automatically order replacement brush heads through Amazon when the one you're using at the end of its life. I found the overall noise to be more than tolerable, but there's also usually music playing in my home no matter the hour. Of course, the big question is, how well does it clean teeth? Very well apparently! My teeth were noticeably whiter after 1 week using only the standard cross action head. I will likely try the whitening head at some point in accordance with the whitening program in the app. The brush head has visible movement, in contrast with the Sonicare which has more movements, but they are smaller movements, and only linear movements. I'm very pleased with my purchase. Unless you're averse to the sound the Oral-B makes, it's handily the best brush on the market right now.