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5 reasons you need an electric toothbrush
– Oral-B Pro 4000 review
Find out how much easier and effective it is to use an electric toothbrush (such as the Oral-B Pro 4000) compared to using a manual toothbrush:
- removes twice the amount of plaque
- cleans more efficiently within the equivalent amount of brushing time – average, 2 minutes
- notifies you when using too much pressure on your teeth
- cleaning your teeth involves less effort as the electric brush head powers its own movement
- you’ll soon recoup its cost as your teeth/gums will improve condition, which means a lower dentist bill
If those five reasons grabbed your attention, and you’re interested in finding out more…
Great, this Oral-B Pro 4000 review is for you!
Why does the electric toothbrush remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush?
- plaque is a non-water soluble film formed by micro-organisms which stick readily to your teeth
- the most effective way to remove plaque is to dislodge it from different directions by force
- an electric toothbrush is much more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush as it makes up to 8x more movements per minute of brushing whilst removing up to 100% more plaque
Top features to look for when choosing an electric toothbrush
If you’re looking to find the best quality electric toothbrush for the best price, you’ll soon notice that there’s a continual sale on electric toothbrushes. It’s highly unlikely you’ll ever pay full price.
That’s good news as full price electric toothbrushes are expensive!
These are the electric toothbrush features you should be looking out for:
- different types of cleaning movement in the brush head
- storage unit for brush heads
- teeth cleaning timer
- brushing pressure warning
- long lasting charge
- spare brush heads included
- reasonably priced replacement brush heads
- lightweight and comfortable to hold
- waterproof and easy to clean
- compatible plug or plug with adapter
- long warranty period
- good value for money at a reasonable price
- majority of positive reviews
You’ll need your electric toothbrush to include as many, if not all, of those listed features.
Yes, I considered buying a cheap electric toothbrush…
… until I paused…. realising that if the electric toothbrush included spare brush heads, then it could be used by the whole family. Hey, that’s a win:win moneywise!
Ok, so a quality electric toothbrush would be more expensive than a cheaper version or manual toothbrush, but it would be fully featured.
Don’t look at the cost as being a huge outlay. Instead, realise that the cost is effectively being divided for use by your family. In my case, that’s three people.
Why spend £17 (the approximate cost of a “cheap” electric toothbrush) for a toothbrush which doesn’t include any spare brush heads and additional features, and which can only be used for one member of your family?
Instead, spend three times that amount for a quality, fully featured electric toothbrush which includes spare brush heads and can still be used by the whole family.
With that logic…
… I went ahead and purchased the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush. It’s not Oral-B’s most expensive electric toothbrush model, nor is it the cheapest option, but it has several spare brush heads and is fully featured.
In fact, the Oral-B Pro 4000 has every one of the features listed above.
The Oral B Pro 4000 has everything you need to effectively clean your teeth.
How to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush
- wet the brush head and apply the toothpaste
- to avoid splashing, place the brush head on your teeth before switching it on
- move the brush head along your gum line and spend a few seconds on each tooth surface, brushing the gums as well as your teeth
- clean the outside of your teeth, between your teeth, the inside of your teeth, and then the chewing surfaces – careful not to apply too much pressure
What is Oral-B?
Oral-B is a Proctor & Gamble brand of oral hygiene products which includes toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouthwashes and dental floss.
Visit the Oral-B website for lots of helpful information and videos about cleaning and protecting your teeth and gums.
“Oral-B – the #1 dentist used and recommended brand, worldwide” [http://www.oralb.co.uk/en-GB/benefits-of-electric-toothbrushes]
Dr Robert W Hutson created the Oral-B brand name and patented an early toothbrush design in 1950 which he claimed was less abrasive to tooth enamel and better for massaging the gums. His first Oral-B product was the Oral-B 60 which had 60 tufts.
Dr Hutson sold his toothbrush business in the 1960s and by the 1980s, the Oral-B toothbrush brand was being used by the Gillette and Braun group (part of the successful Proctor & Gamble company), and continues to be used to this day – having become a well-known, trusted brand in its own right.
What makes the Oral-B Pro 4000 great value for money?
The Oral-B Pro 4000 includes these features:
- 3D action – the toothbrush head oscillates, rotates and pulsates to break up and remove plaque
- visible pressure sensor – a red light shines on the handle if using too much pressure to clean your teeth
- waterproof – you can run water over the toothbrush head and handle whilst cleaning it
- 2 minute timer – light vibration in the handle every 30 seconds as a timer indication to move on to the next quarter of the upper or lower teeth. A stronger vibration notifies you when 2 minutes has passed for you to stop cleaning
- 4 cleaning options:
– daily clean
– gum care/massage mode
– sensitive for use with extra soft bristle brush head
– whitening/gentle polishing mode - rechargeable battery – long-lasting use
- charging station and storage unit with protective cover – includes a charging unit stand for the toothbrush handle with a storage unit for 4 toothbrush heads
- includes 3 toothbrush heads
- purchase and use for 30 days risk-free – 100% satisfaction or full refund
- 2 year warranty
What’s it like using the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush?
Before buying the Oral-B Pro 4000, I’d not used an electric toothbrush before.
The first time I used this electric toothbrush
I found it unusual…..
It made me feel like I would dribble saliva whilst cleaning my teeth. I don’t think that’s specific to the Oral-B Pro 4000, but just me getting used to cleaning my teeth with an electric toothbrush.
My mouth felt like it was being held open at the dentists – you know, when it makes you dribble saliva?
Because of that, I found the two-minute timer seemed to take forever to complete and I was beginning to wonder if I’d made the right choice in using an electric toothbrush. I didn’t fancy dribbling every time!
But… the next time I used this electric toothbrush
By the second time of using the Oral-B Pro 4000, all was fine. My mouth quickly got used to cleaning with an electric toothbrush.
… No more dribbling, thank goodness.
So, don’t be surprised if that happens to you too. At least you’ll know to keep on brushing, as it’ll soon feel normal to use.
Cleaning your teeth with the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush – what’s it like?
Brush heads and cleaning modes
The Oral-B Pro 4000 comes with three brush heads:
- Floss Action – micropulse bristles that penetrate deep between teeth to sweep away plaque
- 3D White – gently removes stains with a dentist inspired rubber polishing cup
- Sensitive Clean – gentle brushing experience, ideal for sensitive teeth and gums
Choose whichever brush head you’d prefer, or purchase a different type of Oral-B brush head, as they’re all compatible with the Oral-B Pro 4000.
I use the Sensitive Clean brush head for the softer bristles.
The circular button near the top of the handle is used to switch on/off and rotate through the different brushing modes.
The toothbrush automatically starts in the Daily Clean mode. To switch to another mode, short-press the circular button:
- Daily Clean
- Sensitive
- Whitening
- Gum Care
To switch the toothbrush on or off, long-press the circular button until the motor stops.
Cleaning your teeth quadrants
Having come from a “manual toothbrush background”, the concept of cleaning my teeth in quadrants was a new idea… and so too was having to time my teeth cleaning.
Imagine your teeth are divided into four sections – left and right sections at the bottom and left and right sections at the top. These are known as the teeth quadrants.
Oral-B recommends that you start by brushing the outside of one of the quadrants, then the insides and then the chewing surfaces (ie the flat parts on top of the teeth):
- hold the brush head bristles at a slight angle towards your gum line. Apply light pressure and move the toothbrush back and forth over your teeth. It’s a similar movement when using a manual toothbrush, but instead you allow the electric toothbrush to do the work
- after 30 seconds of usage, the Oral-B Pro 4000 gives a gentle stuttering sound to notify that it’s time to start cleaning the next quadrant of your teeth. This happens at 30 second intervals until there’s a long stuttering sound at the recommended 2 minute period for cleaning your teeth
Even if you stop cleaning for a couple of seconds, the timer remembers usage and will continue the timer from where you left off.
Once I’d got used to cleaning my teeth with an electric toothbrush, I found that the 2 minute cleaning time flew by and I often continue by massaging my gums with the toothbrush.
The in-built pressure sensor‘s very useful if, like me you’re quite heavy-handed when cleaning your teeth (again, I guess that’s a throwback to manual toothbrush days).
Each time you use too much pressure brushing your teeth, a red light flashes at the top of the toothbrush handle to remind you to be more gentle when brushing.
Charging the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush
I think it would have been helpful if Oral-B had disconnected the lead from the charging unit so that we can store the toothbrush handle and brush heads in the bathroom, only returning to the plug when needing to charge.
The Oral-B Pro 4000 has a white charging and storage unit. You place the toothbrush handle on to the charging unit when storing or charging the toothbrush.
There’s also a connected storage unit for four brush heads, with a clear lid to protect them from dust and dirt.
It’s easy to find out how much charge is in your toothbrush. The base of the toothbrush handle has two lights – the top green light flashes whilst being charged and turns off when fully charged. The lower light flashes red when running out of charge.
Fortunately, Oral-B have ensured that it’s impossible to overcharge the toothbrush.
Cleaning the Oral-B Pro 4000 toothbrush
When you’ve finished cleaning your teeth, leave the handle switched on and run the toothbrush handle and brush head under the water – it’s ok, as they’re both fully waterproof.
Switch off the handle and remove the brush head. Turn the brush head upside down under the running water to clean out any toothpaste that may have dripped inside, and dry the handle and brush head.
You’ll love using the Oral-B Pro 4000 as it makes your teeth feel so clean.
This is what happened when I went to my dentist
Whenever I visit my dentist, he has to clean the insides of my front teeth to get rid of plaque build-up, and he comments about my receding gums, and suggests I use a gentler brushing motion with soft bristles on my manual toothbrush.
After using the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush for a couple of months, I visited my dentist for a check-up.
The dentist commented that he noticed the insides of my teeth were a lot cleaner (he didn’t need to get rid of any plaque build-up) and that my gums were in a much better condition.
People, the only thing I’d changed was to start using this electric toothbrush!
100% more plaque removal and a soft bristle brush, gentler on my gums.
Selection of other electric toothbrushes
I’m very pleased to have bought the Oral-B Pro 4000 electric toothbrush and would recommend its use. However, if you’d prefer a different electric toothbrush, here are some alternatives:
| Product | Approximate Price | Seller | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral-B Pro 2000 CrossAction electric toothbrush | £70 (sale £25) | Amazon | 2 cleaning modes, 1 brush head |
| Oral-B Pro 6000 CrossAction electric toothbrush | £230 (sale £80) | Amazon | 5 cleaning modes, 4 brush heads, wireless connectivity with smartguide, travel case |
| Oral-B Vitality Dual Clean electric toothbrush | £35 (sale £18) | Amazon | 1 cleaning mode, 1 brush head - the brush head is split into two sections (top section oscillates/rotates, lower section vibrates side to side) |
| Philips Sonicare DiamondClean electric toothbrush | £250 (sale £115) | Amazon | 5 cleaning modes, 1 brush head, 1 glass charger, 1 travel case, 1 USB travel charger |
| Philips Sonicare HX9171/20 FlexCare electric toothbrush | £225 (sale £106) | Amazon | 3 cleaning modes, 3 intensity settings, 9 customisable brushing modes, travel case, compact travel charger, UV sanitiser |
| Colgate 360 battery toothbrush | £9 (sale £4.50) | Amazon | no timer, 1 dual-action brush head, battery operated |
| Colgate A1500 ProClinical electric toothbrush | £190 (sale £60) | Amazon | automatic and manual cleaning mode, 3 brush heads, charging case, travel case |
Note: this review is a general resource, not intended to be professional advice.
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