Plus Points

1. This brush has both rotary in and in-out pulsation. This is the combination that is better than rotary-only and that studies show gives better results.
2. The replacement heads have an indicator that shows wear (the bristles become white. When the decolorization on the bristles is down to about 1/8 inch, it's time to change the head.)
3. There is a timer to let you know you have brushed 2 minutes (recommended brushing time.)
4. It does feel like "after the dentist cleaned" if you go the whole 2 minutes.

Minus Points

1. If you don't recharge according to the manufacturer's recommendation initially, you will not have a long battery life.
2. The manufacturer doesn't make this entirely clear, but you should run the charge DOWN on the brush, then recharge, for maximum life. If you don't do this, you could experience a short life-span on this toothbrush. This happened to someone I know; the company made good on the guarantee and sent a replacement.
3. If you DO let the charge run down, the brush is not so vigorous at the end and it seems a bit wimpy to do a really good job near the tag-end of the battery charge.
4. You should go the 2 minutes for effective use, but who likes to stand there, spitting foam and grimacing in the mirror for that length of time?
5. You should use it gently or you can scratch your gums.
6. The replacement heads are a bit expensive.

Despite the minus points, I rate this toothbrush five stars because I love how my teeth feel and it makes flossing afterwards better because I seem to have less tartar buildup. I am considering a second one to keep in my bag at work. I hate to brush with anything else.

Highly recommended

79 of 81 found the following review helpful:

I'm thoroughly impressed!  Nov 21, 2003
By Donald Smith
Let me start by saying that I can only give you my experiences, I'm not an electric toothbrush expert. I don't know why they work, other than the stuff on the box about pulsating and vibrating.

That cleared out of the way, I am amazed with this toothbrush. I have even tested it against a normal toothbrush. I used the electric the first day I brought it home (the day after my dental appointment). I had just had a cleaning at the dentist, and was surprised to find that my teeth felt like they had when I left the dentist's office.
I figured, "Oh, it must be because I just had my teeth cleaned," so I had an experiment. The next evening, I brushed my teeth with my regular toothbrush. I scrubbed the dickens out of my teeth. They felt about like they used to. Then I took the electric to them for about 20 seconds, just enough time to pass it over all my teeth quickly, and there was a definite improvement.

One down-side: I find that I can't keep from a little toothpaste drool. It's not messy, I just have to wash my chin afterwards (and I have a beard.)

******Final Thoughts*****

Now, for why I bought THIS brush... It really is dentist recommended:
The last time I was at the dentist, (about two months before this review) he gave me no choice in the matter, he said I HAD to go buy an electric toothbrush, and he said this was the one to buy. He told me about another one that was a couple of dollars less, but firmly stated that this was the best one to buy, so I did.

Since then I have been back to the dentist twice (for fillings :P )and he can tell a marked difference. So can I. This toothbrush has my heart. (if a bathroom appliance can do such a thing)

32 of 35 found the following review helpful:

super clean teeth!  Oct 23, 2001

After years of nagging by my dentist, I finally caved in and bought this toothbrush. It's great!

My dentist told me that if you're good about brushing your teeth with a regular brush, you can prevent plaque build-up from occurring -- but if you're not careful for a few days then you'll have plaque build-up which you won't be able to remove. You're stuck having to go to the dentist.

Not so if you've got this toothbrush! I actually got this toothbrush after having been a little careless for a few days and being unable to get my teeth to feel clean no matter how thoroughly I brushed them. With this brush everything was squeaky clean in minutes!

I've found it to be reliable, effective, and simple. It's a noisier and messier than an old fashioned toothbrush, but there's not much to be done about that. The battery holds its charge long enough to leave the charger home on trips.

17 of 17 found the following review helpful:

None worked longer than a year  Jan 12, 2007
By Stan Matofu
I had several Oral-B toothbrushes of different types. None of them worked longer than several months or a year. Biggest problem: water gets inside the toothbrush, and damages motor and rechargeable battery. It is very difficult to disassemble the toothbrush, clean it, and assemble it back. I had also Oral-B AA battery toothbrushes. Problems: batteries lose contact, battery lid breaks very easy.

21 of 22 found the following review helpful:

Kind of fast paced, but better than the old one.  Apr 25, 2003
By atmj
REPLACED AN OLD ONE OF THE SAME BRAND NAME.
I bought this toothbrush to replace one of the same brand name that I had for about 3-4 years. The old one just broke. Since I was pleased with it I decided to pick up this one. One positive thing for doing that, is that it used the same brush ends and I had stock piles of them. It is nice that I could use these and not have to buy new ones... at [money amount] each.

EASY TO CLEAN STORAGE THING
This one has a nice little storage thing for the tooth brushes. This at first had me worried as the back of the toothbrushes, no matter how well you rinse and dry them, still drip, water and accumulated toothpaste at times. Not to worry though. This storage thing lifts right out and can be easily cleaned.

BETTER DESIGNED TOOTHBRUSH HANDLE:
The toothbrush handle is also an improvement on its predecessor. It is slimmer and longer and has a better gripping surface.

REALLY FAST BRUSHING BUT TWO SPEEDS AVAILABLE:
The one thing that took a while to get used to though was the speed.. This thing is zippy. Luckily there are two speeds, but even the lowest is much faster than my old one. However, you get used to it quick. I also honestly think, it does a slightly better job. Or maybe I do, due to the more manueverable handle.

Nice product, I would buy it all over again.

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