4.7.2016

I switched to an electric toothbrush nearly 20 years ago and am convinced they offer a superior clean over any manual brush.This Oral-B/Braun toothbrush has a slim, sleek and lightweight handle with a silicone rubber finish to the front making it especially easy to grip, including when wet so there is no danger of it slipping while in use, either being dropped or slipping to the back of the mouth causing a gagging sensation. Being completely waterproof, it can also be used in the shower.It is supplied with a charging stand and two brush heads a ‘cross action’ brush with its outer-row of bristles set at an angle to give a thorough clean and reach deep into crevices, including reaching between the teeth.A second brush head has much softer inner-bristles, making it ideal for more sensitive teeth. However, the brush handle is compatible with all of the Braun-Oral B range so the user can choose the most appropriate for his/her mouth and branded refills from the range are readily available from Amazon, chemists and supermarkets. (Non-branded refills of the standard brush are also available very cheaply from Amazon. I tend to use these and, apart from the occasional bristle falling out, find them very good value for money.)The brush is easy to use and involves nothing more than placing it onto each surface of the tooth, letting it do the work and then moving to the next tooth with a full and highly-effective clean taking about two minutes, which is the minimum recommended brushing time. To help with aiming for a 2-minute brushing session, the brush gives a slight judder every 30 seconds indicates which helps ensure each quadrant has a 30 second clean before moving onto the next and the full 2-minute clean. If too much pressure is applied then a red warning lamp illuminates on the handle, although this can’t always be easily seen while using the brush, unless you brush your teeth in front of a mirror. The brush could also be used by a person with limited dexterity due to injury or disability: I recently suffered a hand injury and suddenly realised that I couldn’t brush my teeth effectively with a manual brush, so an electric powerbrush was essential.The brush, along with its range of heads, gives the teeth and gums a very thorough clean leaving them feeling clean, very similar to a professional clean and polish in the dental surgery and the entire mouth feels fresh. It is also a useful aid to learning correct dental hygiene via the 2-minute timer and pressure sensor but the brush also goes a stage further via its Bluetooth app which can be downloaded onto smartphones supporting Bluetooth 4.0 (or higher). Following download, the toothbrush and phone need to be initially paired, after which every time the brush is switched on and the phone within range, then pairing is automatic and the app records brushing times and any times you applied excess pressure and stores the data for 6 months, so data can be discussed with a dentist on 6-monthly check-ups. I’m not sure what some time-pressured NHS dentists would make of a patient presenting this data for discussion though...I have been using the toothbrush for just over a month during which time it has performed well and I’ve been impressed by how clean and fresh my teeth have felt and I especially like the ‘cross action’ brush head which will replace my standard brush heads from now on. Battery life has been good and with 2 x 2-3 minute brushing sessions daily, I have only needed to charge it every 5 days which is an improvement upon my earlier, ‘budget’ basic Braun model which lasted only 2-3 days at most between charges. I have mixed feelings about the Bluetooth app though: it was fun and a novelty at first for the first few weeks but a month’s worth of data relating to brushing my teeth can’t sustain my interest for too long... Also, the phone needs to be within 5 metres of the toothbrush and with our bathroom sink being a distance from the door, I would need to take my phone into a potentially damp and steamy bathroom. Phones are very susceptible to damp and humidity and just one splash of water entering a phone can cause a lot of damage, as well as writing off the warranty so I am not convinced it is very practical. Although it works well and there were no issues with connectivity or performance, personally, I would consider the Bluetooth technology to be a gimmick. As for the brush, this works really well and is one I would definitely recommend for its power and effectiveness along with different brushing modes to suit different user’s teeth. It would be ideal for a couple or family to share, but with their own individual brush heads to suit their own teeth and preferences.A good buy but I wouldn’t pay extra for the Bluetooth connectivity unless it is a feature you really, really want and will use once the novelty has worn off.

12.6.2016

Oral-B seem to have a pattern of producing 3000, 4000 and 6000 series toothbrushes every two years and it's time for the new 4000 cross-action version. What this toothbrush gains over the previous model, most significantly, is bluetooth connectivity. This means that an app freely downloadable for an Android or iOS smartphone is designed to be used with your toothbrush. The toothbrush functions in a non-smart way as with the older toothbrush. Notionally your mouth is divided into four quadrants and the brush is designed to notify you by an interruption in brushing when one quadrant is finished, or rather 30 seconds have passed. If you apply too much pressure when brushing a red light on the toothbrush is unmissable.Used in this way the 4000 is pretty indistinguishable from the older version - the same size and weight more or less, a charger and very basic stand, no travel case BUT you only get two brush heads with the new model and only three cleaning modes - whitening has gone on this version of the 4000.So Oral-B is putting some faith in bluetooth as an additional feature in place of some other minor downgrading. And the app, as long as you have a smartphone, and it runs the appropriate operating system, is not bad. It shows you graphically the four quadrants of your mouth to clean in turn with a count down timer from two minutes - or a count up timer if you like. It also shows you which cleaning mode you are using - daily clean, gum care and sensitive - together with an ability to change the time you want to clean each sector of your mouth, chose particular programmes to deal with bad breath or improve gum health, record when you replace a toothbrush head (the app will remind you), and record the last 30 cleaning sessions. To keep you entertained while all this is going on the app will display local weather conditions, the latest news and photos. You can also watch your own videos or photos if you want to.The app is not perfect though. For example it doesn't start automatically when you turn on your toothbrush. You have to start the app and link the toothbrush each time you use the app with the toothbrush which can take around five seconds. The app encourages you to clean your tongue for 10 seconds but does not monitor that so you have to click a button on the screen to say you've done it, or not done it. It's the same with flossing and mouthwash. Water doesn't mix well with mobile phones though, and nor do tiled floors. In more expensive versions of the toothbrush you get a bathroom accessory to hold your phone safely. I think this is pretty much essential when mixing phones and bathrooms.If you're convinced of the benefits of electric toothbrushes you'll be happy with this model. That said if you are not going to use the app there's no point in going for the bluetooth version - and note you've lost some features - whitening and an extra brush head - compared to the old version.There are other key improvements that I'd like to have seen. I think a travel case is fairly essential. You really don't want your toothbrush on in your suitcase, and of course the battery being flat on arrival - or your case delayed while the strange buzzing sound is investigated by security. Nor has the battery life improved. It's seven days based on twice daily two-minute use. Phillips brushes have a better battery life and having reviewed one of those a couple of years ago (and saying I preferred Oral-B) I now like the Phillips brushes better. So if you do go on holiday with this brush for more than a week you'll need to take a charger with you as well.Pricing of electric toothbrushes seem to be rather insane. They have list prices that are typically halved. It would be good to see reasonable prices posted from the start. At time of writing, pre-public release, the 4000 is already at a 50% discount. Shouldn't it, as a new product, be at full price as eager consumers wait to buy it?The fact is that the basics of electric toothbrushes haven't changed. People tend to use the everyday mode and all the brushes do pretty much do the same things. This brush comes with some bells and whistles - and the bluetooth feature is a big plus if you're going to use it - but it also lacks a travel case and better battery life.So overall four stars. But make sure you don't pay the list price!

1.7.2016

I received this product for free to test and review as a member of P&G's Super Savvy Me Savvy Circle.This toothbrush is smart in several ways. Some of those ways are useful smart, some of those ways are gimmicks.The actual toothbrushing part is brilliant. There is a choice of heads to suit you, and I found the sensitive head is soft enough on my gums not to cause irritation. There is an incredibly useful red warning light which flashes at you every time you press down too hard when brushing. I have found myself almost trying to see if I can go a whole brush without setting it off, so it does in fact encourage and train into you healthy habits.I have found my gums feel a lot less irritated now I am not going at my teeth like The Hulk.The other useful part is the timer which is built in. Every 30 seconds the brush vibrates in your hand to let you know you can move on to a different part of your mouth- this is supposed to encourage you to split your mouth into quadrant areas and brush each quadrant separately. I found that too fussy so I just use the 30 second notifications as a way of encouraging myself to keep going. When your 2 minutes is up (this is how long they recommend you brush for each time), the brush vibrates extra long to tell you that you can stop, but it doesn't turn itself off automatically- this way, if you feel you need to brush a bit more because you've had too many sweets or something, you can just keep going.Now for what I feel is the gimmicky part of the brush- the blue tooth. As they say on The Big Bang Theory- 'everything is better with bluetooth'. But is it? The brush has the connectivity because it can join up to your smartphone, where you download the Oral B app. The app has functions such as a timer- but the timer feels a bit redundant, considering the brush itself times you anyway. You're basically timing yourself with two things at the same time. The second main function is that you log your brushing- so every time you sync the brush with the app it updates, like how a step tracker would. Then you can collect 'trophies' and 'awards' for things like brushing so many times in a row or completing 'programmes'. The programmes are things like for whitening your teeth or getting healthy gums. But it all feels a bit convoluted and empty. It's an app full of words and pictures and functions, but none of them seem to do anything very exciting or satisfying.To improve the app, I guess you could add things like Facebook/social network connectivity, so you can compete with friends, but to be honest I have no desire to compete against my friends to see who can brush their teeth better. I'm not five. Maybe that's just me, I don't know.Finally, the accessories that come in the box- a kind of wobbly charging stand, that is overly wide because it also has a weird lidded compartment for extra heads. I imagine this would come into it's own in a multi person household where several people use the brush with their own brush heads, so they could use it store them? But as I said it's kind of flimsy and wobbly. It doesn't come with a shaver plug adapter, so unless you're lucky enough to have the kind of fancy bathroom with a shaving plug in it, you're gonna want to stick an adapter in your basket too when you buy this brush.Overall I like this brush. It does a good job. My teeth and gums have never felt so clean, it has encouraged some good dental hygiene habits, and having a brush that does a good job of cleaning has encouraged me to actually brush my teeth as often as I should. But I think it's not worth spending extra for bluetooth unless you have an urgent need to log every brushing session and collect meaningless trophies. Maybe I'm just an old misery guts though!

16.6.2016

I got my first electric toothbrush back in August 2011 and never looked back. That was the Braun Oral-B Pro Care 500: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00544XNEW – I praised that simply because it gave a far superior clean to any old regular manual brushes I’d ever used, plus it was also relatively affordable.5 years later and I’ve been given this new model, the Oral-B Smart Series 4000. In comparison it does the same job to the Pro Care 500, providing a great clean all-round but has a bunch of extras that make cleaning easier / safer, plus some gimmicks that don’t really do anything for me. In the box comes the main device, two brushes, the charger base,and a small tray.The added extras that really do work in its favour are:• A redesigned model, it’s slightly more streamlined and lighter to hold, making it more comfortable to use. (Admittedly you will still be dribbling into the sink as you brush!) It’s a fraction taller, too.• A great little extra is the in-built red light that comes on when you apply too much pressure on your teeth/gums with the brush. The base of the neck has a small trigger that registers when press against it too much, hence the light coming on when you brush your teeth. It works well.• The brush has three speed/clean setting. It does sound like a novelty, but a simple click of the power button changes this. (Press to go through the cycle of: Speed 1 > Speed 2 > Speed 3 > Off). The first is your regular fast speed, the second a slower one, and the third a pulse between fast/slow. I found the third good for stubborn bits.Some silly extra’s that you can do without:• It comes with a little tray that affixes to the charger. It has four spot for you to rest four spare heads. It’s kinda pointless.• You can download a rather well designed app for your phone. It’s designed to help you time your tooth brushing. Although it does work well I find it completely redundant and I won’t be using it again.The brushes…The 4000 series is being sold as a few variants. It’s the same model with a different choice of heads. These heads claim to focus on different cleaning needs, but if you regularly clean your teeth, I don’t really see the need. However, you’re not limited to one type of brush, they’re all compatible with the 4000 model, so the choice is yours to either stick to one or many head types.All in all, this is still a good toothbrush and a great replacement-come-update from my Pro Care 500. Although I’m definitely recommending it as a purchase for all, it really does need to be less expensive. If you can live without the gimmicks then look at getting the more cost-effective 2000 series ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K2U5XFK ) or even the 600 series (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K2U5X6Y )Either way, just buy one of these brushes and your teeth will thank you for years to come.

10.7.2016

Does a toothbrush need to be Bluetooth enabled? Of course it doesn't - it is a modern feature which may appeal to some but not all. The handle itself stores up to 30 of your tooth-brushing sessions so you don't need to be connected every time you brush. When you do connect to the app it will sync all of your stored sessions and you can view your activity.The app itself has a few interesting features. If you do bring your phone/tablet in with you, it provides a news feed to keep you entertained while you brush - helpful to take your mind of the mundane task of brushing teeth. You cannot select the exact content based on your interests but you can choose the type of content (weather, calendar,news, featured photos, quotes, photo news, video news, facts, my photos, my videos).In the settings menu you can turn off the handle's vibration and you can also change the order of toothbrush modes (so if you would rather have gum care instead of daily clean as your main mode). You can also increase or decrease the timer. Another option available is if you cannot use Bluetooth but want to use the app it can start a session by detecting the sound of your toothbrush (I haven't tested this out yet to see if it actually works or not).So on to the actual brushing. I love this toothbrush. The first time I used it I couldn't believe how dentist clean/smooth my teeth felt. Having been brushing all over the place with my ordinary toothbrush I had to get used to focusing on one area at a time. It recommends that you brush the outside of your teeth, then the inside and then the chewing surfaces. But whatever your order, you are recommended to brush each quadrant for 30 seconds - you will get a vibration indicating that time has elapsed and to move on to the next section. You get a final vibration once your two minutes is up but you can continue brushing should you wish.This brush has three brushing modes: daily clean, sensitive and gum care. I mainly stick with daily clean but have tried the other modes. Sensitive does feel a bit lighter and gum care is more of a massage offering differing pressure. To cycle through the modes you just press the power button (if you are using the app it will tell you the mode you are on/switching to).There is also a pressure sensor which flashes red if you are pushing down on your teeth too hard. Probably something you will do at first if switching from a manual brush. You don't really need much pressure at all to get a good clean and once you have the hang of that you should be fine and not get the ominous red light.I would recommend this electric toothbrush, but if you are not bothered by the Bluetooth capabilities perhaps look at another Oral-B series. The Bluetooth provides a bit of extra fun and perhaps looking through your activity may help you become a better brusher.

20.6.2016

Out of the range of Bluetooth enabled toothbrushes, this one is about the best in terms for value for money. It doesn't have as many brushing modes or fancy lighting of the more expensive models, but do you seriously need more than one brushing mode? This one has 3 and let's be honest, that is plenty.You get a standard charging dock (you will need a shaver socket or 3 pin shaver plug) which clips into a plastic 4 brush head holder (2 different heads supplied). Just drop the toothbrush on and leave it to charge (around 10-12 hours flat to full).The handle is slim and comfortable to hold and I only have to charge it once a week if that (it can be left on charge all the time).The motor is no more noisy than others I have heard and the oscillation speed is very good. It doesn't cause tickling or numbness as the vibration is relatively low. It stutters every 30 seconds to prompt you to move from one quadrant of the mouth to the other and double stutters when the recommended 2 mins are up. If you are using the app you will also see a countdown. If you brush too hard a red light flashes on the toothbrush around the base of the brush head to warn you although not too easy to spot. The supplied brush heads have different functions, I preferred the cross action head. The brush heads are supplied with coloured bands so you can use the same handle with different users brush heads, but this will interfere with the app as it assumes one user.The phone app has some very mixed reviews on the play store, but I have it working well on a Galaxy S7 edge. Be warned that the app wants access to your calender, location, photos and files. I don't really like the idea of this, but it is to do with giving you news and weather etc whilst you brush. It also wants access to the microphone and camera, but this is because it can start on noise of the brush if BlueTooth is off and the camera is used to recognise the position of the toothbrush in your mouth to monitor how you are doing - I am impressed with this, but it is fiddly to set up and the novelty wears off very quickly. The app can synch your brushing sessions and prompt you to rinse and floss etc. and it can remove unwanted brushing modes. I preferred to disable the extra modes and just stick with straight brushing. The reason being is to switch the brush off you either have to keep pressing the power button to cycle through the modes to turn off or press and hold the button until it shuts off. With the additional modes disabled the power button just works as it should.This is a very good tooth brush and does a grand job of cleaning your teeth. This one doesn't come with all the whistles and bows of the more expensive models, but the app works much the same and it cleans your teeth just the same.

17.6.2016

Oral-B electric toothbrushes are very good at cleaning your teeth. Most of the brush heads have a rotating action that cleans between your teeth (although you still need to floss).With this brush you get the handle, two different brush heads (Cross Action and Sensitive Clean), the charging base, with a 2-pin bathroom plug and a storage container for up to four brush heads. There are three motor settings: vigorous, gentle and oscillating. The motor fades briefly every thirty seconds so you can bruch each quadrant of your teeth for the recommended time. A red light comes on if you're pressing too hard: you need to remember that you don't need to scrub when you're using an electric toothbrush -you just hold the rotating brush head briefly over each tooth in turn.The toothbrush is pretty much identical to the previous generation of Oral-B electric toothbrushes, and that's a good thing. The new thing is Bluetooth connectivity. But why on Earth would you want Bluetooth in your toothbrush?Inevitably, the answer is a smartphone app. Once you've downloaded and installed the app (search for Oral B) you can track your brushing history by means of little charts that show how long you brushed for. If you have it open while you brush, the app shows your progress and gives you words of encouragement - and also shows you news items, which you can tap to view. By default the app expects you to brush for two two-minute sessions every day. It also shows whether you were using too much pressure, and at the end of each brushing session it encourages you to floss, clean your tongue (really?) and rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash. To be honest, it is a little bit naggy.I previously tried using the smartphone app without a Bluetooth brush handle. It tried listening for the sound of the motor, and wasn't terribly good at telling whether you were brushing or not. Bluetooth connectivity makes a huge difference: recording your brushing sessions is completely automatic. And the brush handle remembers your brushing sessions and adds them to the app if your phone was switched off when you were brushing.I'm not completely convinced that I need an app to get me to brush my teeth properly, although I have noticed that I sometimes don't brush for the full two minutes, so perhaps I really do need the app after all. I don't know what happens if there's more than one person using the same toothbrush handle: I do hope it doesn't confuse the app. As there's space in the holder for four brush heads it is presumably designed to be shared by a typical family.It would have been nice to have a wider selection of brush heads included to let me try them out, although I must say the Cross Action brush is a good one.

15.6.2016

I’ve used Oral-B electric toothbrushes for many years and have always been pleased with them. They brush well, aren’t harsh on my gums, and feel well made. I enjoy using this new one, which has the main brush modes that I have found useful – some of the more expensive ones have additional brush modes that I haven’t used after initial experimentation. As with my other Oral-Bs, battery life, charge speed, quality, etc, all seem good. However, there are a couple of minor annoyances, which I’ll explain later.The Smart Series 4000 I have comes with a Cross Action brush head, as well as Sensitive brush head; though, as with other brushes in the range, it is compatible with other Oral-B brush heads,

3.7.2016

I was absolutely made up to get to try the Oral B Smart Series 4000 and even better was it was the 3D white version, but it also came with a spare cross action head so I could get an idea of how both brush heads work differently. Now to start I will say I am a smoker and a coffee drinker so keeping my teeth white is a difficult task. The 3D White brush head features a small rubber polishing part in the centre of the brush and I don't know how it works but it really does help to brighten teeth. I have noticed that within a week my teeth have become at least 2 shades whiter and the clean feeling is something I have never experienced just from brushing at home.

2.7.2016

The Smart Series 4000 performs brilliantly as a toothbrush, which is obviously the main objective! My teeth feel cleaner than they have in years just from using this for 2 weeks, I particularly love the pressure sensor telling me off with the red flashing lights if I'm brushing too hard! The power socket is a 2 pin (electric razor style) so if have a shaving socket in your bathroom you can leave it on the stand charging at all times and it shuts off when full so won't overcharge. However if you don't have a shaving socket and have to charge elsewhere in the house using an adaptor, it's a bit of a hassle considering the amount of power you get per charge.

6.7.2016

I have had the opportunity to try our the Oral B 4000 and here is my honest review.Looks wise the Brush looks very similar to that of other models in the range. To me there is nothing that makes it stand out from the rest. The blue used is standard trademark colour. The red pressure sensor, whilst practical, is not very attractive.It is very easy to use and set up. The handle sits on the charger and the light on the front let's you know when it Is ready. The little storage case for the brush heads is very handy too.The brush heads just slip on to the handle and click in to place. A full charge from a flat battery does take a long time. But you can store the unit on the charger constantly and the instructions say the battery can never over charge,

20.6.2016

The Oral-B Series 4000 is a great brush. It definitely lives up to the Braun ideal. I've found that Braun products are generally robust. I've had several Oral-B electric brushes and they have stood the test of time. The nice thing about the Oral-B electric brushes is that you can interchange the brush heads as per your personal preference.The brush itself is solid and feels good in your hand, it comes with the 3D brush head, which is very good. The brushes is powerful just like previous incarnations, although as with most of these brushes, you meant to keep them charged, so it is always ready for the next day. If you leave this uncharged for a few days, you will notice it is not as efficient as it is when fully charged.

4.7.2016

The toothbrush looked great when it arrived and I could not wait to try it......unfortunately it didn't come with a uk plug so I had to wait for an adapter to arrive!I had plenty of time to unbox and download the app while I waited for the plug to arrive.The toothbrush came with two round brush heads- one crossaction and one sensitive (which is softer) also a handy stand to store and keep the brush upright and store spare heads.I charged the brush up overnight for about 12 hours before I turned it on (recommending in instructions but only needs 4/5 hours each time) and then connected it to the app via Bluetooth. I thought I wouldn't like this feature but have found it very easy and informative.

5.7.2016

This is my first electric toothbrush and I've been using it for a month now. I can honestly describe the performance as being exceptional, its easy to use and the Oral-B SmartSeries has plenty of functionality to keep the tech savvy, app loving types happy.In the box:You get a standard charging dock (you will need a shaver socket) which clips into a plastic 4 brush head holder (2 different heads supplied). Just drop the toothbrush on and leave it to charge (around 12 hours fully charged). The supplied brush heads have different functions and feature light blue bristles that are meant to help you monitor when the brush needs replacing,

1.7.2016

In the interests of transparency I would like to firstly state that I was lucky enough to receive this for free to test and review. When I say I was lucky, I really was as the Oral B Smart Series 4000 is a simple yet innovative toothbrush with incredibly advanced technology. The electric toothbrush boasts useful different functions including daily care, gum care and sensitive as well as built in, visible pressure sensors, meaning a more gentle and intuitive experience.The Oral B Smart Series toothbrush connects via bluetooth to your smart phone, helping you monitor and track your brushing habits and meet goals and targets.

Oral-B SmartSeries 4000 3DWhite - Reviews

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