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Product Review: Philips Sonicare For Healthy Teeth And Gums

We are blessed with an incredibly kind and highly skilled dentist who recently recommended that we look at using an electric toothbrush. Not the kind where the bristles leisurely swirl around, fuelled by a battery that sits in the handle of the brush. Our dentist strongly encouraged us to use a product made by Philips called the Sonicare FlexCare Plus Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush.

Given our respect for our dentist and her recommendations, we invested in the Sonicare system and began using it daily. After just a few weeks of regular use, we are beyond grateful for this system and can't imagine ever using a regular toothbrush again. It uses sonic technology, which produces up to 31,000 bristle movements per minute, leaving teeth feeling like they've been given a thorough cleaning by a dental hygienist.

The vast majority of us have some level of gum recession, and the exposed root areas of our teeth don't have enamel to protect them against decay, which is why many cavities occur right at the gum-line, an area that is extremely hard to clean properly with a regular tooth brush. The 31,000 movements per minute and design of the brush with the Sonicare system ensures that our roots and gum tissue at the gum-line are thoroughly and gently cleaned.

At first, the regular setting on my Sonicare brush felt too intense for the backs of my teeth, so I used the gentle setting, which was well tolerated, and within a few days of use, I found that I could use the regular setting everywhere.

The Sonicare system comes with charging system that has a neat compartment that opens up to reveal a sanitizing system that utilizes UV rays to kill bacteria and viruses that may be left on the brush head. After rinsing the brush, you just pop the head off, dry it, and place it in the UV system and press a button - the sanitizing process takes just a few minutes, so you're guaranteed a clean brush head for your next cleaning.

The product description and customer feedback at Amazon offers all the information that you would want on this system, so feel free to have a look here:

Sonicare FlexCare Plus Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

If you feel that your teeth and gums can benefit from a better cleaning system, I encourage you to give the Sonicare system a try - it's totally worth the investment in my book. If you want to share your experiences with this system, please use the comments section below. Thank you.

 
 

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Comments

My mom bought me this toothbrush for Christmas in 2012 and I just opened it and set it up last month. I feel like an idiot for putting it off for so long because since using it my teeth are whiter and cleaner than they have ever been. It is a little uncomfortable the first two times because of the vibrating, but then it starts to feel great! I love that it times the brushing of each quadrant in my mouth, so I always know I am getting a consistent, high quality brushing across all my teeth.

I'm a dental hygienist and the Sonicare is my favorite instrument for home dental care. It does a great job without abrading the tooth surface. I have many patients who have tried a competitors electric brush that has a round-headed brush that moves in a circular motion and they do not do a good job at all. First, teeth are not round and people miss the gumline area. Also, the circular motion abrades away the tooth and traumatizes the gums. In contrast, the Sonicare has an elongated head like a manual toothbrush which works well around the gumline and it moves with a short vibrating stroke that is very gentle on the gums. Yes, it might be expensive, but not as expensive as dentures.

I've use the Oral B with great results, able to cut back my cleanings from 4X a year to 2X a year. A couple of months ago I bought the Sonicare thinking I could do even better. Turned out to be too harsh on my gums and the bottom front gums receded more (I am 65) - yikes! - so I am back to the Oral B. I know a lot of people who love the Sonicare, but it didn't work for me. In this case, I'll leave well enough alone!!!

Thank you Marlene for endorsing the elongated head. I tried a round headed electric toothbrush a while ago and hated the way it made my whole head vibrate. Recent gum issues reminded me of Dr Ben Kim's recommendation of the Sonicare. This is my first week, and I love the selection of settings so I can be gentle to start and my teeth and gums feel fresher than they have in a long time. I might actually look forward to my next dental appointment now.

I have been using the previous model of Sonicare for at least 5 years and wouldn't be without it. I use it with tooth powder (which has no sticky glycerin to attract and hold gunk) instead of tooth paste. No glycerin means that tarter doesn't build up and semi-annual cleanings are almost unnecessary, and I have had no recent cavities.

It did take a 2-3 years to work through all of the pre-existing issues with my teeth from before starting this regimen. The only negative thing is that (I think) because some of my teeth are very close together, occasionally the bristles may get caught a bit and can get loosened and fall out of the brush while brushing. Hopefully the newer style brush heads hang on to the bristles better.

To make this fabulous tool even better, add the Air Flosser by Sonicare. The combination is amazing.

I have used Sonicare toothbrushes for years and ALWAYS receive RAVE REVIEWS from my dentist and dental hygienists on how clean and in good condition my teeth and gums are. I second and third Dr. Kim's review and recommendation of Sonicare. I carry one in my car, as well as having one on the sink at home.

Dr. Kim, I took your advice and bought the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum and I love it. My teeth are fairly sensitive and I had no adjustment period at all. I just came back from my dental cleaning and had great results and I have only been using it for three weeks. I took it with me to get instructions on making the best use of it. My hygienist was impressed with it and all that you get. Besides the sanitizing equipment. I got a travel case with a second brush head and a recharging battery. You are right, it is an investment and a great one. Smart shopping helps. I live on the east coast and bought it at Kohl's with a store discount coupon, Kohl's cash bucks and was presently surprised at the checkout where I receive a $30 rebate for purchasing it in November 2013 making it less than half the price. Thank you for the recommendation.