For proper cleaning of teeth and removal of bacteria, tartar, or plaque, electric toothbrushes are superior to manual toothbrushes. The quality models are capable of over 30,000 brushing movements in a minute, a number that no manual tooth brush can be able to achieve. There are a handful of electric toothbrush brands dominating the market. Braun and Philips are among the leading brands in the market with their Oral B and Sonicare product lines. The following web page will compare Oral B vs Sonicare to help you determine which one is the best.
Brushing Technology
One of the striking differences you will notice when comparing Oral B vs Sonicare comes out in their brushing mechanisms. Oral-B uses rotation oscillation whereas Sonicare uses vibration.
In rotary technology, the Oral-B brush head spins in 16 degree motions. The rotary technology is split into two approaches: 3d and 2d technology. The 3d technology uses 8,800 oscillations per minute whereas the 2d technology uses 7,600 oscillations per minute. The rotary technique is 4 times more efficient in plaque removal than the manual tooth brushing system.
In the vibration technology also known as sonic technology, the Sonicare brush head makes side by side motions for 7 times more efficient removal of plaque compared to manual brushing. The brush makes 31,000 strokes in one minute to ensure the brushing accuracy.
Battery Life and Voltage
A comparison of Oral B vs Sonicare involves looking at their battery life and voltage.
The battery life of Oral-B tooth brushes is 10 days. Apart from the short life span of their batteries, Oral-B brushes can only use 110V, which is the standard voltage in the U.S. Therefore, if you are in another part of the world or travelling outside the U.S., you have to use an adapter when charging.
Sonicare brushes boast of a longer battery life compared to Oral-B brushes. The superior Philips Sonicare brushes have a battery life of 3 weeks. In addition to a higher battery life, Sonicare brushes can use both 110 and 220 V. Therefore, whichever part of the world you are in, you can be able to recharge your Sonicare brush without using an extension.
Pressure Sensor
One of the main advantages of electric toothbrushes over manual toothbrushes is their ability to brush properly. With manual brushes, it is difficult to determine whether you are brushing too hard. Exerting a lot of pressure when brushing can damage your veneers and gums leaving your teeth more vulnerable to tartar, bacteria, and plaque.
Electric brushes have a pressure sensor that alerts you when your brushing is too hard. Most Oral-B tooth brushes come with this feature except Oral-B Vitality Series and Oral-B Deep Sweep 1000. Sonicare toothbrushes lag behind Oral-B with regards to this feature with Sonicare’s Flexcare HX6921/02 being the only brush with pressure sensor technology.
Brushing Modes
When looking at Oral B vs Sonicare you will notice that they both have different brushing modes for their toothbrushes. These modes are suited for the varying needs of a person and help one achieve their desired brushing precision.
Sonicare has only five modes: clean mode for a thorough cleaning of teeth, deep clean mode for advanced and special removal of stains, whitening mode for stain removal and whitening of teeth, massage mode for a 3 minute massage of the gums, sensitive mode for those with sensitive teeth.
Oral-B has an additional mode on its Oral-B black 7000 brand. The tongue cleaning mode on this toothbrush is suited for removing bacteria on one’s tongue.
Unique Features
Philip Sonicare is popular for two main unique features: UV sanitizer and the dual charging system. The Philips Sonicare Flexcare HX6921/02 comes with a UV sanitizer. After every brushing session, the brush is loaded with microorganisms. Running water may miss some of these germs and this is the reason a UV sanitizer is used to deactivate and kill microorganisms. The Philips diamond clean has a dual charging system. The dual charging system consists of a USB charging travel compartment, and a charger glass.
Oral-B brushes boasts of two basic unique factors: Bluetooth technology and the tongue cleaning mode. The Bluetooth technology allows a user to determine the cleaning status of their oral system. The three Oral-B brushes that have this technology are Oral-B black 7000, PRO 5000 smart series, and Deep Sweep 5000 Smart Series. The tongue is often overlooked when it comes to oral health. However, the Oral-B Precision 7000 has a tongue cleaning mode feature that enables you remove bacteria and other micro-organism from your tongue when brushing your teeth.
Price
For many people, one of the factors they look at when comparing Oral B vs Sonicare is price.
Oral-B brushes are cheaper than Sonicare brushes. Oral-B has more types and larger brushing heads than those adopted by Sonicare. Phillips Sonicare brushes are similar to the manual brush heads. For this reason, many people tend to believe that Sonicare brushes are more comfortable than Oral-B brushes. The small brush heads on Sonicare brushes makes it easier for a person to reach the crevices of their mouth. Since Sonicare brushes look more traditional, this simplicity contributed to the popularity of the brand and hence the higher prices.
Similar Features
When looking at Oral B vs Sonicare, you cannot help but notice several similar features. Both brands have an LCD display. Another common feature in both brands is the two minute timer. The timer reminds you after 30 seconds to brush the next quadrant of your mouth. Another common feature with both brands is warranty and guarantee. While both brands will give you a 2 year warranty, Sonicare comes with a 28 day money back guarantee while Oral-B’s guarantee period is 60 days.
Oral B vs Sonicare – Conclusion
With many brands of electric tooth brushes in the market, many people tend to compare Oral B vs Sonicare. Oral-B is lauded for being cheap, and offering a tongue cleaning mode and blue-tooth feature. Oral-B also has a long money back guarantee period. On the other hand, Sonicare’s battery life and voltage support is impressive compared to Oral-B. Furthermore, Sonicare’s vibration technology is deemed to be 7 times faster than manual brushing in plaque removal. Looking at these factors, you will notice one brand’s weakness is another’s strength and this makes it hard to declare one better than the other considering the varying needs of consumers.