Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes Are a Good Investment—Spend Less On Our Favorites Right Now (2024)

Brushing your teeth is an essential part of everyday life. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. This has been proven to achieve clinically significant plaque removal. Though the ADA stops short of recommending electric over manual toothbrushes, a recent study found that electric toothbrush users benefit from healthier gums and less tooth decay than people who use manual brushes. Going electric can help prevent several oral hygiene issues, including dry mouth and bleeding gums. The main advantage of using electric toothbrushes is that they clean hard-to-reach areas more effectively, says Dr. Brian Harris, DDS, lead medical advisor at SNOW and Frost Oral Care.

Since Oral-B is one of the biggest names in dental hygiene, we personally tested the brand's entire line. Our editors, including those with dental issues such as sensitive teeth and gum recession, used the toothbrushes at home for a month. We took notes and evaluated the toothbrushes on ease of use, effectiveness, design, and functionality. An orthodontist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy. Here are our top picks based on our testing.

What to Know About Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes

Given the wide range of price points and associated features, there’s much to consider when choosing the right electric toothbrush. According to Jeffrey Sulitzer, DMD, chief clinical officer at SmileDirectClub, choose a toothbrush with soft bristles, vibrating timer guides, and two-minute alerts. If you have special dental requirements, look for pressure sensors and multiple speed settings.

Brush Heads

According to ADA guidelines, brush heads should be replaced every three months—the same as a manual toothbrush. Dr. Sulitzer recommends toothbrushes with subscription head replacement options to switch heads regularly and those with quadrant timers to get the right coverage. He advises using a soft-bristled brush to avoid tooth sensitivity and not leaving the battery charging when full to extend the brush's life.

Motion Type

Dr. Harris says the most important features to consider are the type of motion, the Brush Strokes Per Minute (B.P.M.), the number of cleaning modes, and pressure sensors. Oral-B brushes use oscillating or rotating brush heads, so he recommends a B.P.M. between 1,300 and 8,000. According to their website, Oral-B electric toothbrushes deliver up to 48,800 B.P.M. Mike Bluestone, co-founder and head of business development at Smile Brilliant, notes that adjustable oscillation and vibration speeds are advantageous for people with oral or other sensory sensitivities. He also recommends selecting electric toothbrushes with at least a two-year warranty.

Oral-B vs. Sonicare Electric Toothbrushes

Oral-B and Sonicare are two popular brands that make some of the best electric toothbrushes available today. Both brands are ADA-approved but differ in the shape of their brush heads. Oral-B uses a small, round brush head that rotates, oscillates, and pulses, while Sonicare uses a narrower brush head with sonic technology for toothpaste circulation. Both toothbrushes clean effectively and outperform manual toothbrushes. We're testing Sonicare electric toothbrushes and will provide a full comparison after testing is complete.

Value

If used properly, even basic electric toothbrushes can deliver an effective clean. Dr. Harris suggests that expensive doesn't mean better, but you get what you pay for. Inexpensive brushes may vibrate and make noise but don't always clean teeth well. He recommends sticking to trusted brands like Oral-B.

Our Top Picks

Our Testing Process

To determine the best Oral-B toothbrushes, we tested the entire line of Oral-B’s electric toothbrush models. Before our tests, we spoke with several dental experts to get their recommendations on choosing the right electric toothbrushes based on bristle texture—softer is better for your teeth—and adjustable speeds/modes so you can switch settings to fit your teeth and gum types. Then, we subjected each brush to a rigorous step-by-step process. During physical testing, we adhered to the ADA’s recommended two-minute brush.These are the key considerations we looked for:

• Ease of Use: We assess the setup process and the intuitiveness of the settings right from unboxing. Products with straightforward assembly and immediate usability score higher in our evaluation.
• Design, Functionality, and Features: Throughout each brushing session, we focus on the ease of handling and maneuvering the brushes within the mouth. We observe the brush head sizes, their adaptability to reach all tooth and gum areas, and their comfort level. We scrutinize settings for their usefulness and impact on the brushing experience. We test built-in timers, battery life indicators, and evaluate any additional components it offers, such as extra brush heads, chargers, travel cases, stands, etc. App connectivity is examined for its user-friendliness.
• Quality: Our measure of quality relies on the post-brushing sensation of mouth and teeth cleanliness. We conduct rigorous tests, including post-sticky food brushing, to assess a toothbrush's efficiency. If teeth don't feel clean after use, the toothbrush falls short of our standards.
• Value: Considering the wide price range of electric toothbrushes, we emphasize the importance of value and durability. Cheaper options might lack certain features, while higher-end models offer additional features like app connectivity, stylish cases, and varied chargers. We meticulously weigh the price against the features to determine overall value.
  

The Experts

• Marc Schlenoff, DDS, fa*gD, VP of clinical development at Tend
• Jeffrey Sulitzer, DMD, chief clinical officer at SmileDirectClub
• Brian Harris, DDS, lead medical advisor at SNOW and Frost Oral Care
• Mike Bluestone, co-founder and head of business development at Smile Brilliant
  

More Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes to Consider

While these toothbrushes didn’t top any of our categories, they may still be of interest to you.

• Genius 8000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush: This toothbrush has upsides, such as using inexpensive replacement heads, but we found issues with the timer and battery life. The travel case doubles as a charger, which is handy for travel.
• Smart Limited Electronic Toothbrush: This toothbrush has app connectivity, multiple settings, and a pressure sensor. It cleaned teeth and gums within two minutes but confused the upper and lower sectors of the mouth and has no timer.
• Smart 1500 Electric Rechargeable: This toothbrush is easy to set up, clean, and use, with an accessible price point and simple two-speed settings. However, the intensity of the brush action and the sound it generates make the timer difficult to discern. If you can handle a step up in power, it's a solid option.
  

Who We Are

Samson McDougall is a journalist, copywriter, editor and science graduate. His work encompasses everything from web copy for science museums to writing sexual health articles for universities, info sheets for first-in-category pharmaceuticals to brand messaging for wearable touch therapy by neuroscientists. Samson specializes in making the complex simple, using the English language to democratize knowledge through highly effective, accessible communication.