Product Review: Oral B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush

I was recently given an Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush. After trying it for almost two weeks, I have to say this is one nice electric toothbrush! My old manual toothbrush is now being relegated to the bathroom fixture scrubbing department and the Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable will be my regular toothbrush.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush: My Personal Experience
Oral health is a big deal for me. My family has excellent teeth and it is almost a competition to see who can have the best dental visit. Yes, we are adults, but some sibling rivalries just never die. My normal routine involves pre- and post-brushing rinses, timing my brushing (by means of humming Nat King Cole songs), and daily flossing. My teeth generally feel clean and my dental visits give me reason to brag to my siblings.

Then I received the Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush. I actually did a double take in the mirror after the first deep cleaning timed brushing. My teeth literally glistened. It was like the toothpaste commercials where you see a little twinkle when the actor smiles. I was disappointed nobody was around to look at them. I pondered making an international phone call to my sister.

In addition to being shiny, my teeth feel very smooth after brushing with the Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush. The feeling is similar to when you first leave the dentist's office after a cleaning. The brush heads that come with the toothbrush are small, which allows them to wrap around the very back teeth for a full mouth clean.

The handle is large, but slightly contoured to make it comfortable in your hand. It would likely be too large for early-teens or younger to hold easily. On the other hand, the large size may make it easier for a person with arthritis to brush their teeth. The back of the handle has a section of ribbed rubber to help steady your grip. The buttons on the toothbrush (power and switching between cleaning modes) are large and have unique shapes, which makes it easy to work them without having to check which one you are pressing.

The only flaw I found was with removing the cover to the timer. The timer is designed to resist water damage, which means everything is sealed up tightly. This makes removing the back cover to install the batteries and set the clock difficult. Someone who has arthritis or other issues with their hands or wrists may need assistance with this part of assembly.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush: Features
The Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush includes the following special features:

• Five brushing modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive, Massage, Whitening, and Deep Clean
• SmartGuide wireless timer (more information below)
• Two types of brush heads (more information below)
• Waterproof, ergonomic handle
• Rechargeable battery
• Portable charging base, with built-in brush head storage (dishwasher safe)
• Ventilated travel case
• Illustrated instruction booklet (10 pages each for English, Spanish and French)

Also included in the box were two AA Duracell batteries for the timer and a coupon for $3.00 off a package of refill brush heads.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush: SmartGuide Timer
The SmartGuide timer is about the size of a small desk or travel clock. It is sturdy and has a thick built-on cover to protect it from bathroom steam and water splashes. When not in use as a timer, it displays the time and doubles nicely as a bathroom clock. The timer sits steadily on a countertop or can be hung from the wall or mirror with the included wall mount and adhesive tab.

The timer has two modes: A plain 2-minute timer that signals the brush when you have reached the dentist recommended brushing time and a guided 'Professional timer' that helps you brush each section of the mouth equally. When using the Deep Cleaning mode, the timer extends to a 3 minute count.

The guided display shows a circle divided into quadrants, signifying the upper and lower left and right sides of your jaw. The section you should be brushing flashes for 30 seconds (45 seconds in Deep Clean mode), then becomes solid when it is time to move on to the next section. Once you have done all four quadrants and reached the 2 minute brushing time (3 minutes in Deep Clean mode), a smiley face appears in the center of the circle. The smiley face winks at you if you continue brushing or massaging for an additional 30 seconds.

The timer signals the brush to do a stuttering motion when the 2 minute mark has been reached (or every 30 to 45 seconds during guided display), which allows you to brush freely without having to watch the display. The timer also remembers where you are in the event you have to shut off the toothbrush for a few seconds.

In addition to timing how long you brush, the SmartGuide includes a warning indicator that lights up if you apply too much pressure while brushing.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush: Brushes
Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush comes with two brush heads -- the Oral-B FlossAction and the Oral-B ProWhite. The brush heads are slightly cupped, allowing them to surround each tooth as you brush. Both heads have blue indicator bristles that slowly fade over time. When the bristles fade halfway (approximately every three months), it is time to replace the head.

The FlossAction head has "micro-pulse" bristles designed to deep clean your teeth. In addition to regular bristles, the head has four small paddle-style bristles that move back and forth. From watching in the mirror, it appears these four paddle-style bristles work between your teeth to provide the flossing action. The instruction booklet recommends the FlossAction brush head for everyday use, although you will still want to continue with regular flossing.

The ProWhite head is used for whitening and polishing. This brush head has a ring of normal bristles with a rubber-looking polishing cup in the center that is designed to whiten teeth by removing surface stains. The instruction booklet recommends using this brush once per week or daily, if desired. Children under 12 years old and people with braces should not use the ProWhite brush head.

Switching between brush heads is simply a matter of pulling one off and slipping another one onto the handle. The brush heads can be stored in the covered holder attached to the charging base or in the traveling case.

Other brush heads made by Oral-B, such as the Ortho Care (for braces), Oral-B Power Tip, and Oral-B Sensitive, may be purchased for use with the Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable power toothbrush.

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush: Price
Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Power Toothbrush has a retail price of approximately $159 (now $120). This price is comparative to other brands and models of high quality electric toothbrushes. Replacement brush heads cost around $20 to $25 for a pack of three.