# Speak to me of sonic toothbrushes **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789 "2009-01-17T22:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/1 "2009-01-17T22:09:15Z")
I am considering one. I have great dental health but have recently developed an oral health issue that makes it painful for me to move my [tongue](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10706219&postcount=31) around much. Brushing hurts, mostly because of all the jostling around and stretching things, rather than from the pressure on my teeth. Anyone have sonic toothbrush tales to tell? What’s a good brand or model? ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/2 "2009-01-17T22:53:22Z")
> [@emilyforce](#): > > I am considering one. I have great dental health but have recently developed an oral health issue that makes it painful for me to move my [tongue](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10706219&postcount=31) around much. Brushing hurts, mostly because of all the jostling around and stretching things, rather than from the pressure on my teeth. > Anyone have sonic toothbrush tales to tell? What’s a good brand or model? My son-in-law has a Sonic and my daughter an Oral-B. They each tried the other and both agreed the Oral-B was better. What is more, the extra brushes for the Sonic are really expensive, a ripoff, something like $25 each. Oral-B brushes are 4 for $20. Best prices are at Costco and on Amazon. The latter has more choices. We got the 7400, which is discontinued, but a very good price at Amazon, if any left. Both my wife and I really like it. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/3 "2009-01-17T23:07:30Z")
I have a Sonic. The brushes are $25 for two. I have had mine for years and it is just now getting to the point where it isn’t holding a charge very well. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/4 "2009-01-17T23:14:35Z")
Oral B user here. I’ve had two of these in about 5 years, one lasted 3-ish years and now I’m on my second. Very satisfied, I bought one in the $40-60 range and it’s definitely improved my hygiene. No need for “scrubbing,” the brush does all the work. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/5 "2009-01-17T23:15:19Z")
Sonic toothbrush? Doesn’t Doctor Who carry one of those? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/6 "2009-01-17T23:21:54Z")
Phillips Sonicare, bought a couple years ago for $100. My dentist recommended it specifically and I like it a lot. It’s good for massaging the gums as well. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/7 "2009-01-18T00:07:54Z")
SonicCare by Philips here. Recomended by Neice/Hygenist. It tooksome getting used to due the tickling sensation but it does an amazing job. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/8 "2009-01-18T03:43:53Z")
So there’s (Philips) Sonicare and there’s OralB. Any particular models to recommend? Looking at [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_hpc?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=sonic+toothbrush&x=0&y=0), there seems to be quite a few to choose from. Anyone know which ones are more tickly? Is that a function of vibrations per second, or of power, or … ? ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/9 "2009-01-18T12:18:38Z")
I got the Sonicare Elite several years ago and, after the period of getting used to it (it tickles and its messy), LOVED it. I didn’t bring it to Hungary (different voltage) and I miss it like crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/10 "2009-01-18T14:37:09Z")
We have a sonic care toothbrush and it has been decided that if one of us asks for a divorce, the other gets the sonic toothbrush. So, we are staying together for a toothbrush 😃 ( Whomever asks for a divorce gets the kids.) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/11 "2009-01-18T15:44:35Z")
> [@emilyforce](#): > > Anyone know which ones are more tickly? Is that a function of vibrations per second, or of power, or … ? You get used to it. When I first got it, I was working an area of the palate when I got the jimmy legs. It was crazy, man: I thought I was going to get a boner or something.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/12 "2009-01-18T16:08:36Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > We have a sonic care toothbrush and it has been decided that if one of us asks for a divorce, the other gets the sonic toothbrush. > So, we are staying together for a toothbrush 😃 > > ( Whomever asks for a divorce gets the kids.) You share a toothbrush? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/13 "2009-01-18T16:16:24Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > You share a toothbrush? You can change the head for multiple users…I hope they know that. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/14 "2009-01-18T16:17:37Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > You share a toothbrush? Many of them have removable heads, so multiple people can share one vibratey base. We’ve got three brushes for our one handle, although my husband and son have decided to switch back to manual brushing, so the electric’s become mine. I like it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/15 "2009-01-18T16:24:47Z")
I didn’t realize that you could change heads on the sonic toothbrushes. That makes it a lot less gross to share. Thanks for fighting dental hygiene products ignorance! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/16 "2009-01-18T16:42:12Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > I didn’t realize that you could change heads on the sonic toothbrushes. That makes it a lot less gross to share. Thanks for fighting dental hygiene products ignorance! It _would_ carry the “togetherness” thing almost to the brink of SNL’s love toilet, wouldn’t it? If you get an uber cheap one, like $5-$10, they’re meant for one person to use. But yeah, [teasing you, MissMossie], uh, the bristles get worn after awhile and even a single user needs to be able to replace it! ;):smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/17 "2009-01-18T18:04:53Z")
The Sonicare toothbrush has been tested pretty extensively (IIRC, it’s tech transfer from a project at the University of Washington). I don’t know if the knockoffs have had the same level of attention paid to them. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/18 "2009-01-18T18:25:29Z")
One nice feature about mine is that it has a timer. It hesitates in its vibration every 30 seconds. IIRC the manual recommended brushing each quadrant for that long. Others may have that feature; I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/19 "2009-01-19T00:09:56Z")
I just asked my wife about hers, and she said, “I love it!” I asked her to expand on that in a few sentences. She paused for a few seconds, and said, “I don’t wanna.” So there you go. Joe ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789/20 "2009-01-19T03:31:07Z")
I have an Oral B and love it. I didn’t bring it along on our last vacation and missed it all week. The removable heads are nice because they have heads for specific tasks. Along with the normal head there is one for whitening (which actually works), one that flosses, tongue scrapper, and a smaller head (I don’t know its purpose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speak-to-me-of-sonic-toothbrushes/481789.md?page=2)