The round, top part of the head cleans each tooth with a rotating-oscillating action while the lower section sweeps from side to side. Most move with a rotating-oscillation action – it rotates in one direction and then in the other. The Y-Brush turned heads and piqued interest at CES in 2017 and continued to come back to CES year after year. The strange, Y-shaped brush claims that it can brush all of your teeth in just 10 seconds. It’s basic, with just one setting, but you do get a timer, with the brush pulsing every 30 seconds and switching itself off after two minutes. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
Not only do all the toothbrushes look nigh-on identical, but the manufacturers seem to have decided that confusion is good for business, producing several different ranges with different characteristics all at the same time. It’s hard to distinguish between so many similar products, while the boxes and adverts bombard you with pseudo-science and marketing-speak. Oral-B’s entry- and mid-level models, like the Pro 1000 or the Smart 3000, don’t feature a similar streamlined design as Sonicare, and they also look and feel a little more plastic-y. While Sonicare’s toothbrushes have grippy bodies, Oral-B toothbrushes feature ridges to aid in grip, which also take away from the aesthetic.
Years of research go into making every Oral-B toothbrush head unique, so you’re sure to find one that fits your specific oral care needs. Browse our entire line of replacement brush heads to find one that’s right for you. We found that the brush head location tracking wasn’t accurate enough to give us much useful information. The app, which divides the oral b genius toothbrush mouth into six areas, could reliably tell if a tester was neglecting either the front or back of her teeth, but not if she was missing one specific tooth. The app also expects you to brush the parts of your mouth in a specific order, and if a tester moved the brush to an area of her mouth where the app didn’t expect it to be, it didn’t pick up on that.
Philips Sonicare toothbrushes have a more or less traditional brush shape. All of them are elongated and slightly smaller than that of a standard manual brush. There are different models with designs for various functions like gum care or whitening, but every head has a pattern with at least two types of bristles.
You should see a smile icon varying between large and small indicating the deep clean and sensitive mode.See our example video below. In terms of features and functionality versus price, it really comes down to personal preference. Want to measure the effectiveness of your daily routine with all the latest AI, Bluetooth-enabled oral b genius toothbrush app features, and reports? A basic setup, like the Oral B Pro 1000, is probably the best option for you. Some brushes are more ergonomic than others, and you can consider their size, shape, weight and grip. Some brushes have rubberized or ridged areas on the back of the handle to make them easier to hold.
The higher-end Oral-B toothbrushes start to develop a better look, with a design that we argue starts to enter Sonicare territory. For the same reason, an electric toothbrush can also be helpful for tackling gingivitis, an inflammation caused by plaque on the tooth. “Plaque buildup may cause bad breath and [encourage] larger buildup in hard-to-reach places,” Doniger explained, adding that an electric toothbrush can help as long as it’s used according to its instructions.
When it comes to choosing an electric toothbrush, “pick one you will use,” said Doniger. As long as it gets the job done, is comfortable for you to use twice a day and is paired with fluoride toothpaste, any electric toothbrush is a suitable option to help you maintain your oral health. However, experts said there are some factors you can consider to help you narrow down the plethora of options available. We haven’t tested mouthguard-style automatic toothbrushes made specifically for adults, such as the Y-Brush and the AutoBrush Pro. But for our guide to the best electric toothbrush for kids, we tested the AutoBrush Kids, which was unimpressive.