Oral-B Electric Brush

This page outlines the features of each of the current Oral-B rechargeable powered toothbrushes, arranged from most to least expensive according to MSRP. [Here's our similar breakdown for the Sonicare product line.]

How our review is set up.

• For each brush, we've outlined its basic features in a way that makes it possible to make direct comparisons between it and other models.
  
• We also point out extra features that some of the brushes have that make them relatively unique in the Oral-B line up.

Added notes and observations.

Throughout this page we've included notes that explain our opinion about why each toothbrush might, or might not, make a particularly good choice or value.

! These notes should be read in order because they frequently identify transition points in the Oral-B product line. Some of these breakpoints are very important in regard to brushing effectiveness or options available.

Current Oral-B rechargeable electric toothbrush models.

Which brushes do we cover?

The models we've chosen are those shown on the "Electric Toothbrushes >> View all products" page of the Oral-B website (USA) on November 17, 2016. People familiar with this line will know that versions of several of these models have been around for some time.

• Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 (has Bluetooth Connectivity ) - ($280)
• Oral-B 7000 with Bluetooth Connectivity - ($220)
• Oral-B Pro 6000 (has Bluetooth Connectivity) - ($200)
• Oral-B Pro 5000 with Bluetooth Connectivity - ($160)
• Oral-B Pro 3000 with Bluetooth Connectivity - ($100)
• Oral-B Pro 1000 - ($65)
• Oral-B Pro 500 - ($40)
• Oral-B Vitality Floss Action - ($30)
  
• Oral-B Vitality Dual Clean - ($30)

(We've used this same list as candidates for our Best Oral-B toothbrushes page.)

About the prices we show.

The prices we show above are the higher-end of the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) range shown for each model on Oral-B's website on the date above. We can't imagine that anyone is really paying this much. But showing those prices gives you an idea of each toothbrush's position in Oral-B's hierarchy of products.

If you don't see the brush you're considering buying ...

Historically the system that Oral-B has used to name their brushes has been relatively confusing. It was common that products that were essentially identical (in terms of features and capabilities) were given entirely unrelated names.

With this year's line up, that doesn't seem to be as much of a problem. But if you don't see a brush that you've been considering, read through this information. It can likely help you extract the key elements from your product's name that will allow you to make direct comparisons to the models we've reviewed.

If you need more help ...

If you find that you have questions about something you see on this page, or Oral-B powered toothbrushes in general, feel free to post a comment below and we'll see if we can come up with an answer.

If you'd like to actually see and hold these models ...

We've encountered two retailers (Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target) that frequently have sample models of Oral-B and other electric toothbrushes out on display. The items don't actually run, but you can pick them up and hold them to get an idea of what each is like. In our local area, Target had the wider range of Oral-B models out.

A review of current Oral-B rechargeable toothbrush models and their features.

Note!

We've done our best to double check the accuracy of our information below. While doing so however we discovered that some statements found on Oral-b's website tended to conflict with other information, sometimes on their very same web page or else in their model's user manual.

We would think that most of the discrepancies you'll find are relatively minor. (We've gone to a lot of trouble in examining the products actually being sold by retailers to sort things out.) But if a specific feature is important to you, you must absolutely confirm on the packaging of the product you are considering that it does indeed have it.

The models below are listed in order of price (MSRP).

Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 Electric Toothbrush (has Bluetooth Connectivity).

• Price: $280 MSRP  (Compare Genius 8000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 6 - Daily Clean, Pro Clean, Sensitive, 3D White, Massage (Gum Care), Tongue Cleaner (Details about brushing modes.)
• Top brushing action: 3D movement. | 40,000 pulses per min. | 8,800 sweeps/oscillations per min.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Best.

• Brush heads included: 5 total - 2 CrossAction, 1 ProWhite, 1 FlossAction, 1 Sensitive (Details about Oral-b brush heads.)
• Battery: Lithium Ion. ("Up to 12 days" between charges.)
• Charging unit: a) Standard charging stand. (Holds additional brush heads.)
  b) Travel case/charger (has USB outlet for cell phone charging too).
• Smartphone holder: Yes. (A suction cup wall or mirror mount designed to hold your smartphone so you can see its screen when brushing.)
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Smartring flashes red, brush pulsations slow down, warning appears on brushing app) (More details about Oral-b pressure indicators.)
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Handle pauses and stutters, Smartring flashes, phone app notifications.) (Details about Oral-b timers.)
• Bluetooth connectivity/Smartphone app: Yes. (Includes Position Detection technology.) (See App link below for explanation.)
• Travel case: Yes. (The toothbrush can be charged in this case. Has USB port for recharging your cell phone.)

Things to note about the Genius Pro 8000.

• The 8000 has 6 brushing modes, which is as many as any other model (most have fewer). For the vast majority of Oral-b owners, we feel that using their brush's Daily Clean setting makes the best choice, which makes having any additional modes superfluous.
  

  As an alternative to Daily Clean, the Genius 8000 does offer Pro Clean, which operates the brush head at a faster frequency. We wouldn't purchase a model just to get this mode (here's why). But would likely tend to use it instead of Daily Clean if available.

  The 8000 is one of Oral-b's models to feature Tongue Cleaner mode. It's our opinion that manual tongue cleaning is typically more effective.

• Nowadays all of the better Oral-b models feature Bluetooth/Smartphone app capabilities. (More details about the app.)
  

  What's different about the Genius Pro 8000 is that it's the only model to feature Oral-b's new Position Detection technology. With it, information transmitted from the brush allows the phone app to track your brushing progress so it can notify you if any areas have been missed.

• It's nice that this (as well as some other Oral-b models) come with a variety of brush heads. It provides you with an easy way to have a chance to experiment with them and select the kind that works best for you.
• This model features a lithium-ion battery, which generally has some advantages.

Our opinion about the Genius Pro 8000 -

This is a good brush, and a good choice for people who require a product that has a lot of bells and whistles.

But for the average user who simply needs an effective toothbrush (which is the train of thought we follow on our Best Oral-b's page), we would pass on this model in favor of a less expensive one.

Oral-B Pro 7000 Electric Toothbrush with Bluetooth Connectivity.

• Price: $220 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 7000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 6 - Daily Clean, Deep Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Massage (Gum Care), Tongue Cleaner
• Top brushing action: 3D movement. | 40,000 pulses per min. | 8,800 sweeps/oscillations per min.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Best.

• Brush heads included: 5 total - 2 CrossAction, 1 ProWhite, 1 FlossAction, 1 Sensitive
• Battery: NiMH.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Flashing light on handle (red), brush pulsations slow down, notification appears on brushing app and SmartGuide unit.)
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Handle pauses-and-stutters and light flashes (green), SmartGuide and phone app notifications.)
• Bluetooth connectivity/Smartphone app: Yes.
• SmartGuide unit: Yes. (Details about the SmartGuide.)
• Travel case: Yes. ("Premium" travel case.)

Things to note about the Pro 7000.

• The 7000 features Deep Clean mode (vs. Pro Clean like with the 8000). This too is an alternative to the use of Daily Clean. The basic difference being that Deep Clean runs the brush for 3 minutes instead of just 2.
• This is the only model that features Oral-B's stand-alone SmartGuide unit. For those who don't want to take advantage of using the smartphone app, this unit might be considered to be a less-informative substitute (see link above for features).
• This is the only model we're aware of whose promotional materials make mention of "specially designed seals and gaskets." That statement would lead to the assumption that this model is more water resistant than others. Oral-b uses the phrase, tolerant to up to "500 millibars of pressure." We did the calculations, this is the amount of pressure an object is exposed to when it's about 16 feet under water.
  

  [For Oral-B electrics in general, the "Service" section of Braun's website states that "All Oral-B power toothbrushes are waterproof." It then goes on to say, "Just be careful not to fully immerse the power handle in water."

  We interpret this as meaning that other models can likely survive being splashed. But moisture will likely seep into them if held under water.]

Our opinion about the Pro 7000 -

Just like the Genius 8000, the 7000 seems to offer more features than the average user really needs, and therefore more economical choices exist.

There's nothing especially important about its Deep Clean setting (you can simulate it just by brushing longer in Daily Clean mode).

If you feel you want some off-brush feedback about your brushing session but don't want to use the smartphone app, the 7000 is unique in the fact that it comes with the SmartGuide unit.

Oral-B Pro 6000 Electric Toothbrush (has Bluetooth Connectivity)

• Price: $200 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 6000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 5 - Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Gum Care, Pro-Clean.
• Top brushing action: 3D movement. | 40,000 pulses per min. | 8,800 sweeps/oscillations per min.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Best.

• Brush heads included: 1 - CrossAction
• Battery: Lithium Ion battery.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Smartring flashes red, brush pulsations slow down, warning appears on brushing app)
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Handle pauses and stutters, Smartring flashes, phone app notifications.)
• Bluetooth connectivity/Smartphone app: Yes.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand. Holds additional brush heads.
• Travel case: Yes.

Things to note about the Pro 6000.

Just like the Genius 8000, the 6000 features the higher-frequency Pro Clean brushing mode, a lithium-ion battery and the Smartring feature.

It just comes with one brush head but who cares. You're free to select any other style of head when you purchase your first replacement in 3 months.

Our opinion about the Pro 6000 -

If you're interested in having the Pro Clean setting (which we don't feel strongly about but would tend to select if using a brush that had it), a lithium-ion battery (which is a step up from the NiMH one) or the flashing Smartring (a total non-issue to us), this is the cheapest Oral-b that has them.

Oral-B Pro 5000 Electric Toothbrush with Bluetooth Connectivity

• Price: $160 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 5000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 5 - Daily Clean, Deep Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Gum Care (Massage)
• Top brushing action: 3D movement. | 40,000 pulses per min. | 8,800 sweeps/oscillations per min.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Best.

• Brush heads included: 1 - FlossAction
• Battery: NiMH battery.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Flashing light on handle (red), brush pulsations slow down, warning appears on brushing app.)
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Handle pauses-and-stutters and light flashes (green), phone app notifications.)
• Travel case: Yes.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand. Holds additional brush heads.
• Bluetooth connectivity/Smartphone app: Yes.

Things to note about the Pro 5000.

The only real "extra feature" that the 5000 offers is its 5 brushing modes. It's also the cheapest Oral-b that comes with a travel case.

Our opinion about the Pro 5000 -

We feel that just using an Oral-b's Daily Clean setting makes the best brushing choice (in terms of effectiveness, efficiency) for the vast majority users. So why pay for a brush that has 4 additional ones?

Oral-B Pro 3000 Electric Toothbrush with Bluetooth Connectivity

Oral-B electric toothbrush.

• Price: $100 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 3000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 3 - Daily Clean, Sensitive, Massage (Gum Care)
• Top brushing action: 3D movement. | 40,000 pulses per min. | 8,800 sweeps/oscillations per min.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Best.

• Brush heads included: 1 - CrossAction
• Battery: NiMH.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand. Holds additional brush heads.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Flashing light on handle (red), brush pulsations slow down, warning appears on brushing app.)
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Handle pauses-and-stutters.)

Things to note about the Pro 3000.

This brush does not come with a travel case.

Our opinion about the Pro 3000 -

Even though this toothbrush only features 3 brushing modes, it still has the only two that we think the average household would ever find reason to need:

• Daily Clean - The setting we think the vast majority of users should use.
  
• Sensitive - This reduced-power, less-effective setting might be needed for frail or debilitated brush users who can't tolerate the full-power setting.

From a standpoint of trying to avoid buying a model that has more features than you really need, yet is still a good effective brush (which is the quest of our Picking out the Best Oral-b page), this is the one we would get.

Take Note:

At this point we've reached a very significant turning point in the Oral-b line up of toothbrushes.

While the Pro 1000 discussed next does create Oral-B's 3D brushing motion (a very important feature to have), its top vibratory rate is only 20,000 pulses per minute. This is 1/2 the top speed of all of the brushes we've discussed above.

That means the top (and only) brushing mode on the 1000 (and following brushes too) is somewhat similar to running one of Oral-B's higher-end models at its lower setting (such as Sensitive mode). At a lower setting like this

• The scrubbing efficiency of the brush is reduced (due to fewer total brush movements per minute).
  
• The toothbrush's effectiveness is compromised too (because its lower vibratory rate creates less of a "non-contact" brushing effect, the phenomenon where a toothbrush can disrupt plaque beyond where its bristles actually touch).

Note!

Due to its design shortcomings, the Pro 1000 (nor any of the other models listed below) have ever even been remotely considered for our Best Oral-B's list. We consider all of the toothbrushes from this point on down to be second-tier Oral-B electrics in terms of plaque-removing capability and would not consider purchasing one.

Pro 1000 Electric Toothbrush

• Price: $65 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 1000 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 1 - Daily Clean
• Top brushing action: 3D - 20,000 pulses/minute, 8,800 sweeps or oscillations/minute.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Mediocre.

• Brush heads included: 1 - CrossAction
• Battery: NiMH.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: Yes. (Brush pulsates.)
  
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / Yes. (Brush handle buzzes.)

Things to note about the Pro 1000.

• Does not have Bluetooth/Smartphone App capability.
• Charging stand does not hold extra brush heads.
  
• This brush does not come with a travel case.

Our opinion about the Pro 1000 -

As explained in the "Take Note" section above, this brush features a less efficient/effective brushing action. For that reason any and all higher-end Oral-B's make a vastly superior choice.

Take Note:

The toothbrushes below only feature Oral-B's 2D brushing motion. This means they create absolutely no "non-contact" brushing effect (see link above). We consider this a significant disadvantage.

If for some reason you end up choosing one of these models, don't do so in the sense that you think you're buying a modern-design Oral-B electric because your not.

Pro 500 Electric Toothbrush

• Price: $40 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B 500 prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 1 - Daily Clean
• Top brushing action: 2D - 7,600 rotating movements.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Subpar.

• Brush heads included: 1 - PrecisionClean
• Battery: NiMH.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: No.
  
• Brushing timer / Quadrant timer: Yes / No. (In-handle timer.)

Things to note about the Pro 500.

• Does not have Bluetooth/Smartphone App capability.
• Charging stand does not hold extra brush heads.
• No quadrant timer.
  
• This brush does not come with a travel case.

Our opinion about the Pro 500 -

From a standpoint of inferior brushing action alone, we would not consider purchasing this brush.

Vitality Electric Toothbrushes

Oral-B's website shows the following as different "models."

• Vitality Floss Action
  
• Vitality Dual Clean

On inspection, it seems apparent that both of them are really just the standard Vitality toothbrush handle packaged with a different style of brush head.

So, the Vitality Floss Action toothbrush could be "converted" to a Dual Clean simply by buying a Dual Clean replacement brush head. (You'll be buying replacements every three months anyway.)

• Price: $30 MSRP  (Compare Oral-B Vitality prices and deals at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.)
• Number of brushing modes: 1 - Daily Clean
• Top brushing action: 2D - 7,600 rotating movements.
  

  - As compared to other Oral-B electrics = Subpar.

• Brush heads included: 1. Either a Floss Action or Dual Clean head, depending on which model you purchase.
• Battery: NiMH.
• Charging unit: Standard charging stand.
• Excessive brushing pressure indicator: No.
• Brushing timer: Brushing timer only. No Quadrant timer.
  
• Travel case: No.

Things to note about the Vitality brushes.

There are quite a few no's associated with this brush: No pressure sensor, no quadrant timer, no travel case, no Bluetooth/Smartphone App capability, no extra brush head storage.

The battery life you get between full charges may vary according to the style of brush head you use.

• Past Oral-B literature has stated usage for "Up to 2 weeks" with Sensitive, Pro White or Floss Action heads.
  
• With the Vitality Dual Clean, they've reported "Up to 5 days" of usage.

(This possibly makes sense. The Dual Action's gimmicky design looks like it contains a greater number of moving parts, and therefore likely taxes the toothbrush's motor to a greater degree.)

Our opinion about the Vitality brushes -

Simply due to their ineffectual brushing action, we would not consider purchasing a Vitality brush.

How to decipher an Oral-B rechargeable electric toothbrush's name.

The convention that Oral-B uses in naming their products can be quite confusing. Most recently it seems that they've taken strides to clean up their act but it's possible that you may still encounter some difficulties. (Retailers slow to make corrections, overstock and discontinued items, etc...)

If you do, the following paragraphs outline points we've noticed about how their naming system works. And in the case where your search for toothbrushes doesn't turn up the exact same ones we refer to on our pages, having this information can help you to still be able to make accurate comparisons.

a) Brush head style = Toothbrush name.

To their credit, Oral-B has designed a fairly wide range of brush head styles that can be used on a wide assortment of their electric toothbrush handles (the motorized part).

But what their marketing people tend to do is take one of those types of handles, package it up with a particular style of brush head, and then spin it off as if it's a unique model.

This practice has been more noticeable in the recent past. But even the current line up of their brushes includes the following two "models":

• Vitality Floss Action
  
• Vitality Dual Clean

In reality, these are:

1. The same toothbrush "handle." (The motorized part of the brush that you keep using for years. The part that gives a brush its characteristics such as brushing modes, brushing timer, etc...)
   
2. Just packaged with a different style of toothbrush head. (This is the disposable part of the brush. The part you'll replace many times over during your handle's lifetime.)

Since Oral-B brush heads are interchangeable between models, if you buy the Vitality Floss Action, you can convert it into a Dual Clean just by buying that kind of replacement brush head.

c) The part of an Oral-B toothbrush's name that is important.

The numbering system that's used with each of the higher-end Oral-B's (1000, 3000, 5000, 7000) seems to be an important indicator of features, and often the level of sophistication of the brush's brushing action.

In our review above, you may have noticed that:

• The 7000 model has the largest number of brushing modes.
• The 7000, 5000 and 3000 models each offer Oral-B's best (3D, high frequency) brushing action.
  
• The 1000 model does feature 3D brushing motion but only at a reduced frequency.

d) Brush names that you might have thought were important.

We would have expected that product names such as ProfessionalCare, SmartSeries, Pro Series and such actually referred to something. But after reading through every piece of Oral-B literature we could find (website pages, product user manuals, printable fliers) we couldn't distinguish what it was.

We're guessing that at different points in product line development these names were concocted and they indicated things like what type of battery indicator is used, or precisely how the excessive brushing pressure indicator signals.

But from a standpoint of defining actual features (such as does the model have a battery indicator, or excessive pressure indicator, etc...) we could identify no differences between them.

Index - Topic Powered Toothbrushes.

• What's on our Sonicare Toothbrushes Pages -
  
  • All Sonicare models - A comprehensive review of the features/prices of all of the current models of the Sonicare lineup. Some comparisons between each of the individual product lines are made.
  • The best Sonicare models - A narrative that outlines how to determine which Sonicare model makes the best choice for you. It discusses Sonicare features, which of these features we think are important to have, and which models seem to offer a reasonable manifestation of them.
  • How sonic toothbrushes work. / Effectiveness. - If you're wondering how sonic toothbrushes work and what's special about the brushing action they create, this page explains.
• What's on our Sonicare Features Pages -
  
  • Brush Heads - Information about Sonicare brush heads, including: What styles of heads are available, in which sizes? Which heads can be used with which models? Comparative cleaning efficiency. How long does a brush head last? Screw-on vs. Click-on design. Standard vs. Compact sizes.
  • Sonicare brushing features - An outline of the various brushing modes different Sonicare models have, and what we think of each of them. It explains the importance of having the 31,000 strokes-per-minute brushing action.
    We also explain details about the Easy-start, Smartimer, KidTimer, QuadPacer, BrushPacer and Smartphone App functions (how they work, what we think of them).
  • Additional Sonicare features - We discuss Sonicare's UV brush head sanitizer in this section. We also explain features and issues associated with Sonicare battery types, charging units, working voltages, battery replacement and travel features.
• What's on our Oral-b Toothbrushes Pages -
  
  • All Oral-B rechargeable models - A comprehensive review of the features/prices of all of the current Oral-b rechargeable models. Some comparisons between each of the individual toothbrush lines are made.
  • The best Oral-B models - Our narrative outlining how to figure out which model makes the best choice for you. It covers Oral-b features, which of them we think are important to have, and which models seem to offer a reasonable manifestation of them.
• What's on our Oral-b Features Pages -
  
  • Brush heads - Details about Oral-B replacement brush heads: styles, options, differences. Which are the best ones?
  • Brushing modes - An explanation of the different Oral-B brushing modes found on various models. The importance of 3D vs. 2D brushing action.
  • Additional Oral-b features - Information about the Oral-b Bluetooth/Smartphone app and the wireless Smartguide, as well as what we think of them. Also details about Oral-b brushing timers, quadrant timers and brushing pressure indicators, as well as charging units, operating voltages and battery types.
• What's on our More about electric toothbrushes Pages -
  
  • Powered vs. Manual toothbrushes - Do you really need an electric toothbrush? This page can help you to decide. Advantages and potential benefits of electrics. What does research say?
  • Rotary electric toothbrushes - Types and brands of rotary-brush head powered toothbrushes (Rota-dent, Interplak, Braun Oral B). Pros and cons of their design differences.
  • The best electric toothbrushes for Senior Citizens. - Elder persons in different age groups, with differing situations, need different features. This page discusses the pros and cons of various models in meeting those needs.
• References for this page.