The short answer . . . . 

There has been some evidence based research that have claimed that counter oscillatory rotating movements are superior to sonic movements. Accordingly, the Oral B has a slight advantage over the Sonicare. . . 

However, the decision to buy an electric toothbrush ultimately comes down to personal preference & what gets you excited to brush your teeth every day.

Personally, I prefer Oral B because of the small circular head which forces my patients to slow down when brushing their teeth & I always encourage them to clean one tooth at a time. 

now, let's jump into the details . . .

ORAL B VS. SONICARE 

I contacted my local sonicare & oral b representatives to see if they could provide me with some of their most popular electric brushes to test on this channel.

Sonicare offered their most premium product (Diamond Clean Brush) & I opted to purchase the baseline Oral B product (Oral B Black Pro 1000).

During this review, I will take into consideration that the Oral B model I have isn’t the most premium they offer and make sure to highlight some of those features at the end

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH HEAD DESIGN

The most noticeable difference between these two has to be the toothbrush head design. Let's dive into the details starting with the Sonicare. 

PHILIPS SONICARE

This electic toothbrush offers the very familiar oval shaped design that looks similar to the brushes I’ve been so accustomed to.

Sonicare claim that their diamond shaped bristles is highly effective with stain removal.

The brush heads have blue bristles that fade to white which is meant to serve as a reminder to replace your toothbrush head over time.

I absolutely love this feature because sometimes I forget to replace my toothbrush as it gets worn down . . . 

BRAUN ORAL B 

​This electric toothbrush shocks us with their more unconventional round head design. The Oral B Brush claims that this small head design can provide for a tooth by tooth cleaning.

The bristles of the brush have a criss cross pattern & are angled at 16 degrees to give what they claim to be a superior cleaning.

The bristles of the brush fade in time just likes the sonicare  \& they claim that their brush removes 300% percent more plaque then a regular toothbrush!

I actually love this design. I feel as though having a smaller head allows me to focus on one tooth at a time. I believe anything that helps me focus on technique will be way more beneficial in the long run. 

MECHANISM OF ACTION

The next big difference we need to talk about involves the mechanism of movement each device uses.

PHILIPS SONICARE 

Sonicare uses a core technology of high-frequency, high-amplitude brushing movements! In fact, they claim that they are performing over 31,000 brush strokes per minute.

Those vibrations give you a tingling sensation. Some of my patients love that tingling sensation while other patients tell me that it hurts their gums. This sensation is ultimately patient dependent. . . 

BRAUN ORAL B  

Oral B on the other hand uses a rotating oscillatory movement to clean teeth. I personally love the feeling on my gums. The small circular head allows me to reach the furthest back tooth with ease. . . . 

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH BATTERY LIFE

Both the Oral B & the S​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​onicare have rechargeable batteries that keep the toothbrushes going for a long time. This factor isn't critical unless taking the brush for vacations longer then 7 days. The charging ports are compact and can be easily stored with your luggage. . . 

PHILIPS SONICARE

The internal lithium ion batteries on this electric toothbrush is incredibly powerful & can be recharged every single night. Depending on the particular brush, you can expect it to take a 12 - 24 hours to regain a full charge on a dead battery. A solid green color on the brush will indicate a full charge. 

The Sonic​​​​​are has an incredible battery life that will last for approximately three weeks. This is perfect for longer vacations or if you constantly forget to charge your brush overnight. 

BRAUN ORAL B  

The Oral B takes about 14 - 22 hours to regain full charge and lasts around 6 to 13 days without recharge. This toothbrush also has an indicator light which will let you know when the toothbrush is completely charged. 

As mentioned earlier, I don't believe battery life should be a primary indicator as to whether you should purchase one brush over the other toothbrush.

Let's move into brushing modes . . .  

PREMIUM TOOTHBRUSHES

Each company has a premium version which includes high end features for those that want "more" out of their toothbrushes. This includes bluetooth pairing, enhanced brushing modes, travel cases, pressure sensors & more. . . These features are not necessary to keep your mouth healthy; but I think we should talk about it . . . 

PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN

Sonicare put their design team to work when they created the Philips Sonicare Diamondclean. This toothbrush is highly advertised and recommended by youtube/bloggers across the web. . .

It has a sleek design with multiple color ways and a variety of brushing modes. A brushing sensor lights up if you are too aggressive with your brushing habits and it even has a usb charging case.

Philips Sonicare Features

• DiamondClean Brush Head 
• 5 Brushing Modes 
• USB Charging Travel Case 
• Charger Glass 
• 2 Minute Timers 
• 3 Weeks Battery Life 

ORAL B Genius Pro - 8000

Oral B put their IT team at work while trying to make their toothbrush the most tech - savvy on the market. This electric toothbrush has many similar features as the sonicate including the pressure sensor, built in timer, travel case, mirror cling, etc. . . However, the main difference is the ability to never miss a zone of the mouth

Oral B pairs with your smart phone to help you brush in all the right places & help guide your technique. I've seen this in action and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. Personally, I feel as though patients would get annoyed pairing to an app prior to brushing their teeth. If I can't get patients to floss everyday, how should I expect you to pair to your phone before brushing . . . 

Philips Sonicare Features

• Bluetooth Capability 
• 6 Brushing Modes 
• Travel Case  
• Pressure Sensor 
• Small Circular Brush Head 
• Position Technology