Which toothbrush brand is better – Oral B or Philips Sonicare?
This is one of the most often asked questions from people shopping for a new electric toothbrush.
In this article, I will compare features offered by both brands and put similar models side by side so that you can make an educated choice.
This article is a work in progress.
Research Data
Data From a Special Issue of The Journal of Clinical Dentistry
The publication of the latest clinical evidence in a Special Issue of The Journal of Clinical Dentistry® (Vol XXVIII, No.1, Spec Iss A). Following is a curated synopsis of the studies to provide you with a sense of the clinical performance we demand from the products that your patients use to improve their oral health every single day
Comparison of Plaque Removal by Sonicare FlexCare Platinum and Oral-B Professional Care 5000 with Smart Guide
Comparison of Plaque Removal by Philips Sonicare DiamondClean and Oral-B Triumph®
Philips Sonicare vs Oral-B Model Comparison
Now let’s take a look at similar models from both brands – Oral B and Philips Sonicare.
Philips Sonicare Essence vs Oral B 1000
People looking for an affordable power toothbrush often search for information that would allow them to compare the entry-level brushes from the most popular manufacturers, Philips and OralB.
That is why I decided to look at Oral-B Pro 1000 and Philips Sonicare Essence and compare the most important features. I hope that this information will help you to make your choice.
Related reading: Ultraviolet Light UV Toothbrush Sanitizer – Does It Work?
OralB 1000 Features
Oral B Pro 1000 is the cheapest OralB’s Pro product line model. Here are the most important features of this toothbrush:
- One cleaning mode – Daily Clean
- Pressure sensors – if you are brushing too hard, the brush stops pulsating
- A 2-minute timer with 30-second intervals leads you thru cleaning all 4 quadrants of your mouth
- Brushing head bristles have built-in indicators that let you know when you have to replace the brush head
- The charge indicator enables you to know how much juice is left
- Five replacement brush head options – Floss Action, Precision Clean, Pro White, Dual Clean, and Sensitive Clean
- It uses two types of cleaning movements – pulsations and oscillations
- Performs 40000 pulsations and 8800 oscillations per minute
- Package includes 1 toothbrush handle, 1 Precision Clean brush head, 1 portable charger
Philips Sonicare Essence Features
The Sonicare Essence 5600 is the cheapest Philips rechargeable power toothbrush. There are even less expensive Philips models around, but they are not rechargeable. The main features of the Essence toothbrush are:
- One cleaning mode – Clean Mode
- The 2-minute timer ensures that you brush full 2 minutes
- The easy-start function lets you get used to the power toothbrush
- The blinking power button informs when recharging is required
- Two replacement brush head options – e-Series Standard and e-Series Compact Brush Head
- Performs 31 000 brushing motions per minute
- Package includes 1 toothbrush handle, 1 brush head, 1 charger with brush head holder, and a travel case and travel cap
Pros OralB vs Sonicare 5600
As you can see, both brushes are pretty similar. Both feature only one cleaning mode and a 2-minute timer. I would say that these are the most important things to get the job done.
Pros of OralB 1000
- Pressure sensors prevent damaging your teeth when you are learning to use the power toothbrush
- Timer with 30-second intervals allows you to allocate equal brushing time for each quadrant of your mouth
- Multiple replacement brush options for all needs
- 2 types of cleaning motions
Pros of Sonicare Essence
- Easy-Start function gradually increases the brush’s power as you get used to it
- Easy to choose brush head options
- Better suited for travelers with a hard travel case and travel cap for the brush head
Which toothbrush would I pick?
While it may look like OralB toothbrush has more features than Sonicare, I doubt the actual use of some of these features. It is nice to have many replacement head options, but they can also be confusing.
A pressure sensor is an excellent feature option for first-time power toothbrush owners. Still, I would prefer a pressure sensor that beeps or stops the brushing instead of a barely noticeable stopping of pulsations.
In my opinion, if the prices were equal, I would still choose the Sonicare Essence.
Sonicare DiamondClean vs Oral B 7000
Coming soon!
Sonicare 4100 vs Oral B 1000
Coming soon!
Oral B Advanced Clean vs Sonicare 5000
Coming soon!
Related reading: Emmi-Dent 6 Professional Ultrasonic Toothbrush Reviews
Conclusion
The Oral B and Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes both offer a wide range of features and benefits, but in the end, it comes down to personal preference as to which is the better choice for your needs.
Oral B offers a more affordable option and a wide range of brush heads, while Philips Sonicare provides a more advanced cleaning experience.
Ultimately, it is up to the user to decide which toothbrush is the best electric toothbrush for them.