Oral-B Smart Series 5000 Review

Floss action brush head- Soft but works hard.

Whitening head- The box says, "Outstanding whitening and polishing in 3 weeks," I had less than 2 weeks to use the Oral-B Smart Series 5000 before this review was due, so I can't fairly review this feature, but I can testify that the polishing head is soft and comfortable to use. Here is an excerpt from the manual where they describe this brush head. "It features a dentist-inspired polishing cup to remove surface stains from coffee, tea and tobacco for effective brightening."

Automatic timer- Will alert you how long you need to brush and works well as an overall guide. The timer is a separate stand alone device that has a small bracket you can mount on your wall with two sided tape. Mounting is very easy and the timer is easy to slide out of the bracket to take with you on the road. When the timer is not in use it serves as a regular daytime clock, which I absolutely love having in the bathroom so I know how long I've been soaking in the tub for. You do not have to stop brushing after the timer has counted to its finishing time, the tooth brush will continue to work, however it will pulsate to let you know that you have reached the recommended time. When first using the brush I would always go over the time limit, but soon I got into the rhythm and now routinely finish on time. The pressure gauge and mode indicator icons are displayed on the clock. The pressure gauge is something that a person like me needs, as I tend to scrub too hard which can be harmful to the teeth. Immediately during my first use I was signaled that I was brushing too hard and eased up.

Brush Handle- Is large but comfortable to grip and use. The handle has a battery display that tells you how much of a charge you are working with. It's also waterproof, though if it wasn't, I probably wouldn't stick it in my mouth.

Charging stand- After every use you set the toothbrush back on the charging stand where it charges. It seems like charging after every 2 minutes of use would be excessive but I haven't had the Oral-B Smart Series 5000 long enough to speak on the charging procedure and life of the battery. I can say the battery has always been fully charged and ready and the base holds the toothbrush well.

Brush head housing- Connected to the charging stand you will find the housing for your brush heads. There are 4 spots where you can store up to 4 heads. Two brush heads are included with this tooth brush, the floss action brush head and the whitening brush head. There are other optional brushes you can buy that I did not review. The housing looks nice but it has a couple of openings that I wish were not there. I would have been happier if the brush housing was totally enclosed to keep the brush heads safe from the dreaded toilet flush bacteria and small pieces of flying hair from shaving. Don't get me wrong the brushes are covered just not completely.

Travel case- Makes it easy to take with you, it will fit the brush handle and two brush heads.

Mode settings and features.

*Floss type action while brushing- This feature works great. I have used it specifically to get something out of my teeth and it worked. I understand the importance of flossing, but still dread doing it, so the fact that this feature works so well means that flossing is much easier after I brush my teeth. This is where this toothbrush finds its place in my heart.

*Sensitive cleaning mode- This feature is made for people with sensitive teeth. This feature slows down the speed of the brush. The lower speed does not cause any less vibrating in your mouth so there really is no use for it. Anybody who prefers this feature is undoubtedly susceptible to the placebo effect.

*Massage mode- Is described in the manual as a "gentle message of gums." Is not as nice as it sounds. All it really does is pulsate in your mouth. There is no reason to waste any time scrolling through the other options to use this feature.

*Whitening mode- I did not have the recommended time to use this feature to testify on any visual results, but I can tell you it's a comfortable setting that leaves your teeth feeling well cleaned.

*Deep clean mode- Does nothing more than add an extra minute of cleaning time to the timer.

Claims on the box

"Deep Clean mode removes up to 99.7 percent of plaque from hard to reach areas."- I have no way to measure how accurate that is, but I can say it did a great job of removing plaque.

"Gentle on the teeth and gums." -Yes it is.

"Improves gum health better than Sonicare Flex Care." - I can't say, I have not tried Sonicare Flex Care.

"Outstanding Whitening and polishing in 3 weeks."- I did not have the toothbrush long enough to confirm that, but it seemed to work well in the limited time I had to use the product and write this review.

"Floss Action technology for superior overall clean." - Yes, the floss action is a thorough clean that will leave your mouth feeling comparably clean to a dentist office cleaning

The Actual act of brushing and the ease of use of Oral-B Smart Series 5000.

The brush heads are made to totally surround the tooth giving it a 3D cleaning from all angles so positing it directly over each tooth is important. At first I wasn't able to get to all my teeth equally but the teeth I did clean correctly, did feel very clean. I noticed that there was a lot of loose debris in my mouth from the flossing feature, which showed me how well it worked. My first two times brushing I went over the recommended time limit because it took me extra time to place the brush head over my back teeth and I often applied too much pressure.

By day 3 of use I was able to get in rhythm with placing the brush head over each tooth and finished brushing on time without ever applying too much pressure. At first I was lifting the head and trying to place it directly over each tooth. Once I stopped lifting the head and just slid the brush head over to the next tooth proper placement was much easier.

My overall conclusion for the Oral-B Smart Series 5000. I like this toothbrush a lot, but for the $160 (now $120) price tag, you are not getting something you cannot achieve with a regular toothbrush making the Oral-B Smart Series 5000 a luxury item. This toothbrush is packed with bloated features that really offer nothing extra; however the core functions of brushing and flossing are superb. I can see a scenario where a person who doesn't normally brush their teeth would benefit from the ease of use of the Oral-B Smart Series 5000, and in which case buying the Oral-B smart series 5000 for $160 is a much better value than costly dental work one would need in result to not brushing their teeth. I must also add that this brush is also great for people who hate flossing, so if you are willing to pay $160 for the luxury of being able to get a good flossing while you brush your teeth then the Oral-B Smart Series 5000 is the way to go.