Electric Toothbrushes - Part 2 -- Good Vibrations
 Jul 5th, 2001
Advantages:
Electric toothbrush that is recommended by dentists that has all the bells and whistles, and because it has been superceded is £15 . It gives a brilliant brush .
Disadvantages:
Has been superceded, long charging time (but that is the case with all brushes), shape of brush head, the plug, maybe too powerful .
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Value for Money
Ease of Use
Improvement on Teeth Condition
more
  Modena
About me:
21/08/2005 - One of the Original Ciaoers (I was Ciaos Most Wanted in around February 2001 I think, o...
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This is part 2 of a two part series of opinions on electric toothbrushes, if you missed the beginning of the series, here’s what you missed… Electric Toothbrushes - Part 1: Oral Sensations (Other opinion)
1.0 - Electric Toothbrush Overview
1.1 - Standard Electric Toothbrushes
1.2 - Rechargeable Electric Toothbrushes
2.0 – The Braun Oral B D9XXX Ultra Plaque Remover
And here’s what I am going to talk about… Electric Toothbrushes - Part 2: Good Vibrations (This opinion)
3.0 – Introduction
3.1 – The Braun Oral B 3D Action Plaque Remover
3.2 – Comparison
4.0 – Other Brands
5.0 – Conclusions
-----<<<<<----->>>>>----- >< -----<<<<<----->>>>>----- 3.0 – Introduction
Okay, so far we have established that Electric toothbrushes are pretty cool pieces of kit, and so far I hope I’ve gone into depth about a bottom of the range rechargeable one by Braun. The message is quite clear, you should get one if you don’t have one. The only negative point I can really think of is if your teeth are weak, and the strong brushing action may damage your teeth, but to be perfectly honest with you, I cannot see my brush damaging my teeth ever.
So why or why not should you go for a better electric toothbrush?
Well here is my review of the Braun Oral B 3D Action Plaque remover… 3.1 – The Braun Oral B 3D Action Plaque Remover
This was Braun’s top of the range conventional rechargeable electric toothbrush. It’s been superceded by the Oral B 3D Excel (the 175XX), which I do not think it too different and costs a lot more. Like the standard Oral B plaque remover, this comes in different variations in terms of brush heads and containers:
- The bottom of the range D15511 Solo (my one), with your brush, one head and a charger unit, with the necessary bits for wall mounting.
- The D15525 Family, in addition to above but with two brush heads and a container mounted onto the charger for easy storage, this can store 3 heads. Once again, definitely worth it if you are into family size things. >The 3D action
What’s so special about this over the standard plaque remover? Well…
“A revolution in oral care hygiene. The only power toothbrush system that benefits from Braun Oral B’s unique 3D brushing action. How does it work?
The unique 3D technology combines tow distinct brushing motions:
1. 20,000 gentle in and out sonic pulsations per minute to loosen plaque
2. Plus 7,600 side-to-side oscillations per minute which sweep plaque away.” That sounds brilliantly intuitive, and you do feel the “sonic pulsations” once you begin to brush, whether or not they do help the removal of plaque I am slightly skeptical, but I can honestly say that the 3D action feels superior to the standard one, but if your teeth have cracks or whatever, it may be something to avoid.
>Other Features: (generally same as the standard version) Indicator heads
These are brushes that are coloured so that when the colour fades, you know you need to replace it, and it is recommended that you change the brush heads every 3 months.
Recognition rings
Also, you can put coloured rings around the head of the toothbrush to tell which member of the family uses which head. You get about 4 rings when you purchase the toothbrush, a must if you are going to share. Most rechargeable brushes have this. Flexisoft bristles
We also have “FlexiSoft” bristles which reach into gaps better and clean better. I think it’s just a gimmick though and might make them fade faster.
Pressure sensor
There is also a pressure sensor, this allegedly stops the 3D pulsations if you apply too much pressure, I cannot confirm or deny that this works because naturally the pulsations will stop if you press hard. My opinion is that this does not work.
There are also strips for rubber along the side for more grip, once again the toothbrush is completely waterproof, there is no need to worry at all. To clarify, there are no charging contacts, it probably charges by induction rather than a direct connection. This is slimmer than the standard model and the grip is better. Also the two-minute timer is standard across this range.
>Stats
Weight – about a quarter of a kilo
Charging time required – 16 hours
Battery lifetime – 45 minutes (15 mins longer than other one)
Connection – 240V AC shaver plug (Adaptor £1 needed unless you plug in the “earth”)
Replacement brushes – About £8 for 2, £1 cheaper than Philips ones! Once again, Braun recommend you leave this fully charged all the time (i.e. placing it back on charger) and let the battery go flat every 3 months or so to maintain performance of the brush and the battery. I have not charged mine for over a week and it still runs, but not as strong, so I would recommend constant recharges and the odd running the battery flat.
>>The experience
It feels comfortable, the head is not too big and not too small and you are in full control all the time. The pulsations can get quite strong at times and I guess if you are made dizzy easily, then you may feel some pain in your head, the non 3D version is less painful. One minor complain is that some gaps are not reachable because of the rigidity of the brush head and the shape of it, just like the other one, which is why a more elliptical head may be preferred in my opinion. >Price
The RRP of the toothbrush I got was £34 (about £45 for the family one). As I said, this has been superceded by the 3D Excel, which I don’t think is too different (and that range starts from £45). This means that these are selling for about half price!!! I picked up mine for £15, that’s less than (the RRP of) the bog standard ones!
3.2 – Comparison
There isn’t too much new to say, in a nutshell, this is better in my opinion, it has a better design, it feels more powerful, the battery lasts longer, and I prefer using it. The only downside is if you are scared of it being too powerful, I think it’s gentle to be honest, and the pressure sensor does not work. The difference to the condition of your teeth is debatable, but I would definitely pay £5-10 more for the 3D one.
4.0 – Other Brands
Now I have praised Braun’s range heavily in this opinion, according to Braun, Braun is recommended by more UK dentists than all other electric brands combined. The main rival in this part of the market is Philips. The advantage of buying a Philips one for instance is that the Philips one has a flexible head, I don’t think that is of any use really, but it also has an end tip to reach the nooks and crannies, the Braun does not. Also I do not think that the Philips brushes look nice and they only cost slightly less, and the heads cost more. So buy Braun seems to be my stance… 5.0 – Conclusions
Right, well through the two opinions in this series, I have come to the conclusion that Electric Toothbrushes are really good things to have, not just for the sake of being lazy, but also the hygiene of your teeth.
I would recommend a rechargeable electric one by a good manufacturer such as Braun or Philips because I trust them with their expertise to make a top class product that is good mechanically in terms of effectiveness, lastability and reliability. I would recommend that you purchase one with a timer also, personally I feel it is worth paying slightly more so that you know when you have brushed for 2 minutes, simple as that, it’s not essential, but it is probably standard on most models.
I would not hesitate at all in recommending the 2 models described in the two opinions, I wouldn’t pay more than £20 for the standard model, and I wouldn’t pay more than £25 for the 3D model. It’s not just the price of the brush you should bear in mind, you are recommended to change heads every 3 months, these cost around £8 for a pair, and I think they might need to be changed every 2 months or so. I hope this two part series has cleared things up for you if you were stuck, any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, Ciao!
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14.07.2001 13:38
such an informative op - Thanx I will take your tips on board especially when buying xmas pressies!
11.07.2001 22:10
Well, after reading part 1, how could I not read part 2? Considering that a toothbrush is potentially the most boring thing in the world, your opinions are amazingly readable. Some very useful information there, great stuff!
11.07.2001 20:18
Great op. I have an electric one by Colgate which is okay, but this sounds really good, I will be on the look out for one. Thanks