A simple way to whiten your teeth without trying expensive whitening products is to change your brushing habits.
Electric toothbrushes can, at a minimum, double the amount of plaque you remove by brushing compared to a manual toothbrush.
It’s not just from the spinning and vibrating action of the electric brush, but from simply brushing for the dentist recommended 2 minutes every session. Oral-B electric toothbrushes have built-in 2-minute timer pulses to help make sure you’re spending enough time on your teeth.
They also go a step further and recommend you divide your teeth into 4 quadrants and spend 30 seconds on each quadrant. By breaking your routine down into focusing on smaller sections you help ensure you don’t neglect certain teeth for improved oral care.
What else?
A typical brush head of Oral-B electric toothbrushes is circular and small. This toothbrush brand design lets you use the brush on a single tooth at a time and conforms to the shape of your teeth and cleans the crevices between them.
These are great features that come with even the budget models, so you don’t have to pay a lot more to get a great toothbrush.
Price Table
Oral-B Pro 500 Power Toothbrush
If you’re unsure if any one of different types of electric toothbrushes are right for you, the model 500 is a great place to start.
Essentially, electric toothbrushes are going to enhance your teeth cleaning ability. One of the big struggles many people have is spending the right amount of time brushing. Even with this budget model from Oral-B, you get the 2-minute timer that helps you meet the dentist’s recommended brushing time for better oral care.
No need to buy a separate timer or use an app. The in-handle timer is extremely convenient.
The Pro 500 has a round-shaped Precision Clean toothbrush head which provides cleaning action by rotation and oscillation. Oral-B states you will double your plaque removal versus a manual toothbrush with this brush.
Key Features
- In-handle 2-minute timer
- A Single mode brush setting
- Oscillating and Rotating brush action
These simple, affordable electric toothbrushes have all the basics you need to improve your dental health. One of the easiest ways to whiten your teeth is to simply start using an electric brush.
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
The standard toothbrush head that comes with the 500 is the Precision Clean, but you can use many other brush heads:
- CrossAction
- Deep Sweep
- Floss Action
- 3D White
- Sensitive
- Dual Clean
- Power Tip
- Ortho.
Most brush heads of Oral-B electric toothbrushes are small and circular. This is different from Philips, for example, who generally has larger more oval-like brush designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is a cover for the brush head included?
A: No.
Q: Is there an LED light to let you know when it’s fully charged?
A: No
Q: Does it signal you every 30 seconds to let you known when to change quadrants?
A: No
Q: Can I leave it on the charger when I’m not using it?
A: Yes, but to maximize capacity, deplete the battery until it’s fully discharged at least once every 6 months (once every 3 months would be better).
Warranty
You get a 2-year warranty that covers defects. You can register your toothbrush here to receive a coupon for a replacement brush head.
Conclusion
For entry-level electric toothbrushes, the 500 comes with some features you don’t see from other manufacturers unless you spend more money.
Mainly, the in-handle timer. It’s such a simple feature, but it’s crucial to your dental health.
Overall, the Pro 500 is a great choice if you’re thinking about switching from a manual brush.
Oral-B Pro 1000 White Toothbrush
The Pro 1000 is a newer replacement model for the Pro 500.
If you’re worried about spending equal time in all areas of your mouth, then the Pro 1000 has what you need.
Ever been to the dentist and had them tell you one section of your teeth is much less clean than another, especially when you’ve been cleaning with a manual toothbrush? That’s usually because you don’t spend equal time in all areas of your mouth.
The dentist recommended 2-minute timer is great, but it’s still hard to keep track in your head how long you’ve been brushing a particular section of your mouth.
By dividing your teeth into 4 quadrants you can spend 30 seconds in each quadrant. Focusing on a quarter of your teeth for 30 seconds helps ensure you’ve given them equal attention. So to help with this, the timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you known when to move on to the next section.
Key Features
- In-handle 2-minute timer.
- 30-second buzzer to alert you to switch quadrants.
- Pressure Sensor to stop pulsation movement if you brush too hard.
- Cleaning action: 300% improvement over plaque removal and oral care of a manual brush.
You get the 2-minute timer, like the Pro 500, but the additional 30-seconds buzzer is a huge bonus.
You want to get your teeth as white and clean as possible, but applying too much pressure can damage your gums. The pressure sensor automatically turns off the the brush.
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
The Cross Action brush head has precisely angled bristles at 16 degrees to help reach between teeth and remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush for better oral care.
Like most other Oral-B brush heads, the Cross Action is small and round. This design is intended to make you focus the brush to apply cleaning action on one tooth at a time due to it’s shape easily conforming to a tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:How long will the 1000 hold a charge?
A: 7 days of regular use. To get the maximum capacity, deplete the battery at least once every 6 months (3 months would be better).
Q: How many cleaning modes does the Pro 1000 have?
A: A single mode.
Q: How does the 1000 with capped teeth?
A: It works great. It’s gentle and the pressure sensor keeps you from brushing too hard. It’s best to go slow around sensitive teeth.
Warranty
You get a 2-year warranty that covers defects. You can register your toothbrush here to receive a coupon for a replacement brush head.
Conclusion
Lots of great features come with the Pro 1000. The 30-second timer is really a game changer.
You still only get a single brush mode, but it’s plenty powerful. If you’re worried about brushing too hard the pressure sensor will keep you from hurting your gums.
Definitely a great entry-level electric toothbrush, and with all the features you get at this price it’s a bargain.
Oral-B Pro 3000 Toothbrush
You know what your toothbrush needs? Bluetooth connectivity.
The 3000 lets you track your brushing routine using the Oral-B App when you have your toothbrush connected through Bluetooth.
Maybe you need the extra accountability, or like tracking your routine. If you tend to use apps like MyFitnessPal, then this may appeal to you.
You get many of the great features included in the Pro 1000. In addition to the dentist recommended 2-minute timer, 30-second quadrant timer, and pressure sensor you also get 3 brush modes.
Let’s break these features down further and see what the Oral-B App has to offer.
Key Features
- Pro Timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you know when to switch quadrants, and alerts you to when you’ve been brushing for 2 minutes.
- Pressure sensor lights up to alert you when you’re brushing too hard.
- 3 Brush Modes: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive
- Oral-B App to track your routine, record how long you brush too hard, add time to your routine for focusing on problem areas.
- Charging station with storage for 4 brush heads.
The brush already alerts you to when you’ve been brushing for 2 minutes, so having the app timer running doesn’t necessarily help with that. The app does track how long the pressure sensor detects that you’re brushing too hard. You can, however, customize how much time you apply cleaning action on certain areas if you find that certain spots need more attention for improved oral care.
All of the modes are accessed by cycling through the power button, so to turn the brush off you have to cycle through to the end.
Unlike the Pro 1000, the pressure sensor alerts you by lighting up a red LED when you press too hard instead of turning off the pulsations.
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
You can use many different brush heads with the Pro 3000, but commonly people use the Floss Action and Cross Action.
Check out the difference below.
Oral-B Cross Action
The varied bristle levels apply cleaning action to more surface area and help remove more plaque. The bristles are angled at 16 degrees to reach between your teeth. The small circular shape lets you do tooth-by-tooth cleaning, instead of the long brush strokes we normally do with manual brushes.
Compatible with any Oral-B handle (except the Pulsonic).
Oral-B Floss Action
Though not meant to replace flossing, the Floss Action brush head performs a floss like cleaning due its bristle design. Again, you get the tooth-by-tooth cleaning due to the small circular shape of the brush head. This is highly recommended by dentists for better oral care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s the difference between the 3 brushing modes?
A: Daily Clean uses 3D movement for effective daily cleaning. Gum Care is a massage mode for gentle stimulation of the gums. Sensitive operates at a lower speed to gently clean teeth and gums.
Q: Does the storage for extra brush heads have a cover?
A: Yes you can store 4 brush heads on the charging base and it has a cover.
Q: How often do you need to charge the handle?
A: You can get 7 days of use on a single charge. You will want to completely drain the battery at least once every 6 months to maximize the battery life.
Q: Which brush heads are compatible with the 3000?
A: CrossAction, 3D White, Sensitive Clean, Precision Clean, FlossAction, TriZone, Deep Sweep, ProWhite, Ortho, PowerTip, and Dual Clean.
Warranty
You get a 2-year warranty that covers defects. You can register your toothbrush here to receive a coupon for a replacement brush head.
Conclusion
If Bluetooth connectivity and the app appeal to you then this is the most basic model with those options. The Pro 3000 has all the necessities for timing your brushing sessions.
The app gives you the additional ability to customize your timing spent on certain areas of your teeth. You also get to see how long you brushes too hard via the pressure sensor.
Overall the app is a nice (and free) enhancement to the experience that lets you customize your brush to your needs for improved oral care. The additional brush modes help you get the right cleaning action you need.
Oral-B Pro 5000 SmartSeries Toothbrush
The first of the Oral-B electric toothbrushes to come with a travel container. The Pro 5000 has the same charging base and brush head storage as the Pro 3000, but has 2 more brush modes: Whitening and Deep Clean.
Key Features
- 5 Brush modes: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive, Whitening, Deep Clean
- Travel case
- Pro Timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you know when to switch quadrants, and alerts you to when you’ve been brushing for 2 minutes.
- Pressure sensor lights up to alert you when you’re brushing too hard.
- Oral-B App to track your routine, record how long you brush too hard, add time to your routine for focusing on problem areas.
The major differences between the Pro 3000 and the Pro 5000 is the additional brush modes and travel case. You get the same app features and brush timers.
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
You can use many different brush heads with the Pro 5000, but commonly people use the Floss Action and Cross Action.
Check out the difference below.
Oral-B Cross Action
The varied bristle levels cover more surface area and help remove more plaque. The bristles are angled at 16 degrees to reach between your teeth. The small circular shape lets you do tooth-by-tooth cleaning for better oral care, instead of the long brush strokes we normally do with manual brushes.
Compatible with any Oral-B handle (except the Pulsonic).
Oral-B Floss Action
Though not meant to replace flossing, the Floss Action brush head performs a floss-like cleaning due to its bristle design. Again, you get the tooth-by-tooth cleaning due to the small circular shape of the brush head of these electric toothbrushes. This is highly recommended by dentists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will the 5000 hold a charge?
A: 10 days on a single charge. You will want to completely drain the battery at least once every 6 months to maximize the battery life.
Q: Can you track multiple users with the app, with 2 people sharing the same brush handle?
A: No, you can only have a single user.
Q: Can I monitor my kid’s brushing habits using the app?
A: Yes, the handle will keep track of 20 sessions before needing to be synced with the app. You could sync the app weekly to check their brushing habits.
Q: Is there a single button for turning on/off and switching modes, or are there 2?
A: There is a button for turning on/off and a button for cycling through the modes. So you don’t have to cycle through the modes to get to the off position.
Warranty
You get a 2-year warranty that covers defects. You can register your toothbrush here to receive a coupon for a replacement brush head.
Oral-B Pro 7000 Smartseries Toothbrush
The Pro 7000 includes a helpful visual indicator for how long you have left to brush as well as when you should switch to the next quadrant of your mouth (an advantage compared with a manual toothbrush). The Bluetooth functionality lets you connect with the phone app and track your brushing habits for improved oral care.
The separate timer and visual indicator for the brushing pressure and Pro Timer are more convenient than just a vibration or beep.
What’s the improvement over the Pro 5000?
There is an additional brush setting called “Tongue Cleaner”. It’s not clear what difference this brushing mode makes relative to the others for cleaning your tongue. The separate timer device and premium travel case are nice upgrades over the 5000.
Key Features
- 6 Brush modes: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive, Whitening, Deep Clean, Tongue Cleaner
- Premium Travel case
- Pro Timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you know when to switch quadrants, and alerts you to when you’ve been brushing for 2 minutes.
- Pressure sensor lights up to alert you when you’re brushing too hard.
- Oral-B App to track your routine, record how long you brush too hard, add time to your routine for focusing on problem areas.
- Separate visual indicator device for timing your brushing.
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
Any Oral-B replacement head is compatible with the Pro 7000, but it comes standard with 1 Cross Action, 1 Pro White, and 1 Sensitive Gum.
Oral-B Cross Action
Oral-B Pro White
Oral-B Sensitive
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does it take to fully charge the Pro 7000?
A: Completely drained, the battery will take about 20 hours to fully recharge.
Q: How many brush heads are included?
A: 3 Brush heads
Q: Are the batteries Lithium Ion?
A: No, they’re NiMH. Only the Pro 8000 model has Lithium Ion.
Q: How does the visual pressure sensor work?
A: The face on the timer device will frown when you’re pressing too hard, and smile when you’re just right.
Warranty
The Pro 7000 comes with a limited 2-year warranty.
Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 Toothbrush
The Pro 8000 electric toothbrushes have a crucial upgrade above all the other Oral-B electric models: the Lithium Ion battery.
The other Oral-B electric models now have a NiMH battery, which is more tempermental and take longer to charge than a Li-Ion.
The phone app has advanced “Position Detection” technology which gives you more insight as to how well you’re covering each zone of your mouth. You still get the dentist recommended 2-minute timer and Pro Timer for switching quadrants.
Key Features
- 6 Brush modes for more cleaning action: Daily Clean, Gum Care, Sensitive, Whitening, Deep Clean, Tongue Cleaner
- Smart Travel Case allows you to charge your toothbrush and your smartphone at the same time.
- Pro Timer buzzes every 30 seconds to let you know when to switch quadrants, and alerts you to when you’ve been brushing for 2 minutes.
- Pressure sensor lights up to alert you when you’re brushing too hard.
- Oral-B App with Position Detection and Facial Recognition to determine how you’re brushing in detail.
- Lithium Ion Battery
Oral-B Replacement Toothbrush Heads
Any of the Oral-B replacement heads are compatible with the Pro 8000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use the Pro 8000 without the app?
A: Yes, the app is not required.
Q: How many brush heads are included?
A: 4 Brush Heads
Q: Can it be used in the shower?
A: Yes, all Oral-B electric toothbrushes are waterproof.
Warranty
The Pro 8000 comes with a limited 2-year warranty.
Conclusion
With the travel case and additional modes, you get a great bang for your buck. The app is very handy, especially if you want to monitor your kid’s brushing habits for better oral care.
You can pretty much guarantee the Oral-B 5000 has all the necessities, plus a little more. You won’t be disappointed with these electric toothbrushes.