Sonicare Toothbrush feature evaluation :
The Sonicare QuadPacer and Smartimer interval timers.

All of the Sonicare toothbrushes that we discuss on our pages offer the Smartimer feature. Many of them also feature Sonicare's QuadPacer function.

The Sonicare Smartimer feature.

The Smartimer feature is simply a brushing timer. Sonicare has taken the general recommendation from dental professionals that a person should brush for about two minutes to a literal extreme. Sonicare's Smartimer function starts when the brush is turned on and then automatically shuts the toothbrush off after two minutes of use. (Through mode selection or QuadPacer programming, with some Sonicare toothbrush models this brushing cycle can be extended to 2 1/2 or 3 minutes.)

Some, like us, find that it annoying that Philips Sonicare has taken a stance that a person should brush for two minutes, as opposed to one where they should brush until they have thoroughly cleaned their teeth. Sure, a person can just turn their Sonicare brush back on and resume their brushing until finished but it would be nice if the Smartimer feature offered a variety of different brushing durations, so to be adjustable to an individual's specific needs. Of course, some people will never take the time to evaluate what their brushing needs are. And for these people it's great that a Sonicare toothbrush can imply to them that they should be brushing for at least two minutes.

The Sonicare toothbrush QuadPacer feature.

The Sonicare QuadPacer function is a pause-and-beep indicator that signals that one-fourth of the Smartimer brushing cycle has elapsed. (With some models there are variations to this basic theme when certain brushing modes or QuadPacer options are chosen.) The idea is that if a person uses a brushing approach where they mentally segregate their mouth into four parts, the QuadPacer indicator can be used to signal when they should progress on to cleaning the next quadrant. To us, this featured seems targeted at the uninitiated. We are hesitant to think of tooth brushing as a timed race, as opposed to doing a thorough job. However, for the uninterested or uncooperative brusher, we can see how the QuadPacer feature can provide some benefit.