Why Is My Oral B Electric Toothbrush Not Charging?

Electric toothbrushes are a convenient and effective way to improve and maintain oral hygiene daily. However, if your Oral B electric toothbrush isn’t charging correctly, it can be frustrating and make the toothbrush stop working when the battery is depleted.

There are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the charging issue and get your Oral B toothbrush charging again. This blog post will discuss why your Oral B electric toothbrush may not be charging and provide some helpful tips to troubleshoot it and get back up and running.

With the right knowledge and care, you can ensure your Oral B electric toothbrush is always ready to give you a thorough clean for years to come.

What Should You Do If Your Oral B Electric Toothbrush Is Not Charging?

The charging problems can signal that your Oral B electric toothbrush is on its way out and that you might have to consider looking for a replacement. But before spending your hard-earned money on a new brush, I suggest going thru the steps described below to make sure the Oral B toothbrush is indeed faulty.

Here is what you should do when to troubleshoot your Oral-B (and Braun) electric toothbrush charging problems:

1. Try to charge your toothbrush while observing time and indicator lights.
2. Check the wall outlet.
3. Check (and swap, if possible) your charger.
4. Check the toothbrush.
5. Check if the toothbrush and charger are still covered by warranty.

Step 0 – Try To Charge Your Toothbrush

First, you should try to charge your toothbrush and pay attention to the charging indicator light.

Related reading: Oral-B Genius 8000 Review

The Charging Indicator

All Oral B toothbrushes except Vitality and Pro 500 have a charging indicator light. The indicator light should flash green during charging.

If the toothbrush is completely discharged, it may take up to 15 minutes of charging before the indicator starts flashing. When the toothbrush is fully charged, the flashing should stop.

Depending on your model, full charging of the Oral B / Braun toothbrush from 0% to 100% should take from 14 to 22 hours (see the FAQ section below for more information about models and charging times).  Then they should last for 5 to 14 days if you brush your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes each time.

If your empty Oral B toothbrush is sitting on the charger longer than 15 minutes without showing any signs of life, here is how you can troubleshoot it.

Step 1 – Check The Wall Outlet

When you notice that your Oral B toothbrush is not charging, check if the wall socket you are using is working correctly.

What is the easiest way to check the wall outlet? Try plugging in a different appliance, for example, a hairdryer, to check if there is power in the outlet.

Sometimes the bathroom wall outlet is powered only when the bathroom lights or bathroom cabinet lights are on. Check it out with a hairdryer as well.

Be careful not to charge the toothbrush on a metal surface. The metal can interfere with the charging process.

If there is power in the outlet, but the toothbrush still is not charging, let’s continue with the next steps.

At this point, we can be sure that something is wrong. Either your toothbrush battery has died, or the charger is malfunctioning.

Step 2 – Check The Ambient Temperature

If you’re finding that your Oral-B electric toothbrush is not charging as expected, one factor you might want to consider is the ambient temperature. Oral-B recommends an ambient temperature range of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F) for charging your electric toothbrush. This range ensures optimal charging conditions and helps protect the health of your toothbrush’s battery.

However, if the ambient temperature for charging falls outside of this recommended range, namely below 0°C (32°F) or above 40°C (104°F), the toothbrush handle may stop charging. This is a built-in protective measure to prevent damage to the battery and the toothbrush itself.

In such cases, you might want to consider moving your charging station to a location with a more suitable temperature, such as an air-conditioned room or away from direct sunlight or heat sources.

Step 3 – Check The Charger And Replace It If Needed

If you have access to another similar Oral B toothbrush or charger in working order, you can quickly find the faulty device.

Pretty much all current Oral B models use the Type 3757 charger, so compatibility should not be a problem.

Here is what you can do:

• attach your toothbrush to another charger, or
• put another toothbrush on your charger

Now you can see which piece of equipment has failed.

What if you could not find another device for testing?

Try charging the toothbrush for an hour and then touch the charger. If the charger is working, it should gradually be heating up. If both the charger and toothbrush are cold to touch after being connected to the live wall outlet, you may want to start looking for a new charger.

Tip: if you are often traveling, get a multi-voltage 110V-230V travel charger like this charger from JDK.

Step 4 – Check The Toothbrush

If it turns out the charger is working, the toothbrush is to take the blame.

According to toothbrushbattery.com, “There are two main causes for charging faults inside the toothbrush, either damaged components, for example from being dropped or a failed battery.”

If the unit has been dropped to the floor, some internal connection has likely cracked and lost the connection. Most of the cracked solder joints can be repaired by a skillful handyman using a soldering iron.

Another cause of charging failure is the deterioration of the toothbrush battery over time. Is it possible to replace it? The manufacturer wants you to buy a new toothbrush, so the official answer is no.

It is possible to replace the faulty Oral B toothbrush battery. Still, it requires taking apart the brush and resoldering a new battery. That is a subject for another article.

Step 5 – Check If the Toothbrush Is Covered By the Warranty?

If this does not help and you still cannot charge the toothbrush, you should check if the appliance is still covered by the warranty. If it is covered, the manufacturer will solve the issue.

If you have had the toothbrush for more than two years, the warranty has expired. However, one of the Oral-B service centers may be able to help you.

Charging Your Toothbrush Properly

The first time the toothbrush must be completely charged and discharged again (discharge not to 0%, but shortly before it is completely empty).

Do not place the toothbrush on the charging station until the toothbrush indicates it should be charged. Then charge the toothbrush only as long as necessary (but until it is full) and avoid overcharging (even if most batteries don’t mind).

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my Oral B iO not charging?

If your Oral-B iO electric toothbrush is not charging, you should follow the same steps descibed in this blog post above.

How do I know if my Oral B is charging?

All Oral B / Braun rechargeable toothbrushes except Vitality have a charging indicator. If the indicator keeps flashing green, the toothbrush is charging. If it glows steady green, the battery is full, and you can take the brush off the charger.

With Oral B Vitality, there is no way to tell if it is charging except by putting it on the charger for a couple of hours and then trying to switch it on.

How do I know when my Oral B toothbrush is fully charged?

The toothbrush is fully charged when the charging indicator is green and not blinking. Then it is advised to unplug the charger for your safety.

Why does Oral-B toothbrush green light keeps flashing?

The green flashing light means your toothbrush is charging. That is normal. Some Oral B models take a really long time to fully charge, so it may look like the light is flashing endlessly.

How long does it take to fully charge an Oral B toothbrush?

The charging time depends on the model of your Oral-B toothbrush.

Older models have a NiMH battery that takes longer to get charged. In contrast, the new models have faster-charging Li-Ion batteries.

US models:

• Vitality and Pro 500 – 16 hours
• 1000, old 3000, old 4000, old 5000, old 6000, 7000 – 22 hours
• 1500, new 3000, new 4000, new 5000, new 6000, 8000, 9000 – 15 hours

European models:

• Vitality and Pro 500 – 16 hours
• Junior Kids, 600, 1000, old 2000, old 3000, old 4000, old 5000, old 6000, 7000 – 22 hours
• new 2 2000 and 2500, new 3 3000 and Teen, new 4 4000, new 5 5000, new 6 6000, 8000, 9000 – 15 hours

Can I turn on my Oral B while it’s charging?

Yes, you can turn it on and use your Oral B toothbrush before it is fully charged. It is a good idea to put it back on the charger after use to ensure it is 100% charged and can be used without interruption for 1-2 weeks.

Can I use my old charger from a toothbrush with a NiMH battery with my new brush with a Li-Ion battery?

Yes, NiMH and Li-Ion chargers can be used interchangeably if they physically fit your toothbrush. Some models, like Oral B Pro 5000 and 7000, look identical but have different batteries. They can still use the same charger.

Related reading: Oral-B Genius X Review

Conclusion

This blog post has given you the information and confidence to troubleshoot your charging issues with your Oral B electric toothbrush.

One thing is for sure – the battery of your Oral B electric toothbrush will eventually run down. But before it actually happens, make sure your wall outlet and toothbrush charger are not causing the charging issues.