Spend $22.50 a year and save $10,000? How does that work? Well, a couple of my close relatives have spent well over $10,000 each having their teeth and gums repaired. If you've had periodontal work or had root canal, implants, crowns or bridges done, you know that figure is not an exaggeration, and you're lucky if your insurance covers even a little bit of it. Having seen my relatives go through that, I've decided that as I get older, I want to spend my money on vacations and real estate, and not on painful dental procedures.

That's why the Sonicare is the most frugal product I've bought. I too have had some costly dental work, and I'm determined to keep my fixed-up choppers in tip-top condition. This toothbrush is amazing. One thing very few people note about the Sonicare is that it not only cleans your teeth beautifully, it also keeps your gums in great shape, and that may be even more valuable. Here's the best testimonial to the Sonicare: I recently had braces for a few... Read more

My best friend has been raving about his Sonicare Elite for over a year now-- encouraging me to try it. I did a little research and saw that OralB had a similar product and wondered which had a better product-- Sonicare or Oral B. My friend finally convinced me that the Sonicare product is superior, and then I read a review on Amazon from a hygenist who said that she went to a continuing education seminar and learned that Oral B was found to be superior...

At that point, I decided to do some research. I found a Northwestern University study conducted over a 6 month period. Patients with the Sonicare did much better, but don't take my word for it. Read the study results for yourself on the National Institute of Health web site:
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"Overall, this study demonstrates that long-term use of these two electric toothbrushes improves periodontal health in adult periodontitis patients, and that the Sonicare brush is superior to the Braun [Oral B] brush in reducing... Read more

Sonicare Elites are better than average electronic toothbrushes, but you should know what you're getting into before you buy a kit. Electronic toothbrushes use the the Gilette model: sell the shavers for cheap, get them on the razor blades. Inkjet printers also use this model.

All marketing hype aside, the truth of the matter is the actual cost of the consumables should be a fraction of what you're paying. For example, it is technically possible to create an inkhead that refills like a gas tank, but the printer companies would tell you otherwise because such a design would cut into their fat margins. So instead of paying less for ink bottles in bulk, you (the consumer) have to pay up the wazoo for relatively little amounts of ink in proprietary plastic boxes.

Same with Sonicare replacement brushes: instead of paying a couple bucks for just a new brush head with bristles (costing about the same as a new manual toothbrush), you have to pay $10 for a toothbrush head that comes in its... Read more

The differences between this model and the "older" Flexcare are minimal, that is probably why all they did is add a + to the end of the name. But there are a few differences between the two.

1. Most notably is the "new" look. It has a cleaner appearance with most of the front being a dark chrome look, also instead of the green led's, it has a backlight behind the selected brushing mode.
2. Gone are the 'Go Care' and 'Max Care' and in their place are 'Gum Care' and 'Refresh' mode. They do exactly what the other one did except for one important change on the 'Gum Care' mode which replaced 'Max Care (which is why I picked the new one over the old) '. Instead of having a 3 minute routine with 45 seconds each quad (30 normal + 15 massage) for a total of 3 min; they now have it where it goes 30 seconds each quad with an added 1 minute at the end for 'problem areas' which is broken down into four 15 second intervals.
3. 'Different' color, looks very similar - its... Read more

BACKGROUND: I have been using the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush (see my previous review for a detailed write up) for about a year and a half before getting the FlexCare Plus with the UV Sanitizer. For this review, I will highlight the differences between the two models as well as comment on the UV Sanitizer, and I will conclude with an overall recommendation between the two.

SETUP: Much like previous units, this is a breeze. Simply plug in the base sanitizer/charging unit combo and place the base handle on the peg to begin charging. The instructions recommend charging 24 hours prior to the first use, but I doubt this is necessary given that the brush will only be used minutes a day and likely be able to charge 23 hours minimum every day that you use it.

For multiple users, Philips... Read more

This is a GREAT investment in your dental hygiene. I have had this for only a few days and it knocks the pants off of my old Sonicare Elite that I have had for almost 5 years. New Flexcares are the way to go in my opinion. The look and feel of this tooth brush is very high tech and sleek. In comparing the Elite model with the Flexcare plus I have noticed a tremendous amount of improvements. The first is the Procare brush heads that come with this toothbrush. They are slightly more course (which I like) than the original brush heads that I bought for my Elite. They also have a blue strip on them which diminishes in time to signal when you need to replace the brush head. It just feels like my teeth are cleaner than when I used the Elite. Also the 5 modes of cleaning you can choose from compared to only one with my Elite. The quadpacer feature is pretty nice. It is basically a small and short beep every 30 seconds to signal you when you should switch brushing from one quadrant of... Read more

I want to stress that this brush works superbly. My 3 stars are for the value/bang for your buck aspect of this product.

I have used three other electric brushes besides this one. One was a very early model Sonicare, the other two were Braun Oral-B models. ALL of them worked great. The three other brushes I've used have all had excellent durability. And I never had a single cavity with any of them.

There are really just two major differences between these two brands. Brauns tend to have smaller heads and they have a kind of rotating pulsing motion. Sonicare models have more of a vibration motion and, in my experience, tend to tickle a bit more. Your mileage may vary. In my experience, Braun brush heads also tend to be a little cheaper.

All the electric toothbrush makers make claims about being the "best." However, as one major dental site commented, "There are currently no studies that we are aware of that compare objectively electric... Read more

This is my second attempt at having an electric toothbrush. The first attempt was with an Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush. That was a terrible experience that left me with headaches after using it and teeth that didn't feel clean. (it's nw in a box in my closet collecting dust).

On the other hand this Phillips Sonicare Flexcare toothbrush is a great experience. The brush head is nice and compact, but still covers the entre tooth surface being cleaned. It provides a nice pause to remind you to switch quadrants of your mouth. It has three different modes to use. One for normal cleaning, one for sensitive teeth/gums and one that massages the gums.

There are also two other settings. MaxCare which is slightly longer than the normal setting and incorporates both regular and massage into each quadrant and GoCare which is a... Read more

I have used many rechargeable toothbrushes in the recent years - many different models of Oral B and very recently the latest WaterPik Sensonic. This is actually the first time I'm using a Philips SonicCare. Here are my impressions/opinions:

Pro

- Brush body is light and highly portable. Many competitor models that offer comparable brush speed/features tend to be bulkier.
- Decent clean and polish. The model claims to be better than competitors, I have no way of verifying this claim myself. However, I find the brushing result to be at least as good as higher-end Oral-B and the WaterPik Sensonic.
- Essential timers - 2-minute brushing timer and 30-second quad timers. All other models have them, it is good these essential features are left untouched.
- Portable, all-voltage charger that's perfect for international travelers. While we are on the subject, folks who tend to travel internationally and are shopping around for a power toothbrush, should... Read more