The last time I had my teeth cleaned at my dentist’s office, they recommended that I buy a Sonicare electric toothbrush. I told them I had never used one before and I was skeptical that they could really clean my teeth better than I could get them with a manual brush. The dental hygenist generously gave me a battery operated toothbrush to try out and see if I liked this style of brush.
To make a long story short, I did end up with the Sonicare toothbrush, and I love it. There are many different models of Sonicare on the market, and I believe mine is one of the newest and the best. It is the Sonicare Flexcare RS940 (900 series) unit, made by Philips. The box states that it cleans better than Sonicare Elite and Orab-B Triumph.
What the Kit Contains
* One Flexcare wand
* One hygenic travel cap
* Three interchangeable color code rings
* One UV sanitizer with built-in deluxe charger
* Charger base with cord wrap storage
* One ProResults brush head
* A soft travel case with snap closure
* One travel charger
Features
I was impressed with the variety of features of this Sonicare toothbrush! Since it’s hard to tell one head from another, there are interchangeable color code rings to help identify your brush from a family members brush. The brush head will only fit onto the wand in one direction and it’s easy to connect them with a simple push.
When the unit is plugged in and the toothbrush is placed on the peg, the flashing light on the battery gauge indicates that the unit is indeed charging. There is also a handy light on the wand that shows how much battery life remains. 3 green LED lights mean 75-100%, 2 lights is 50-74%, 1 green light means the charge is getting low at 25-49%, and finally the flashing LED yellow light means there is less than 25% power remaining. When the charge is low the unit will beep three times.
When the battery gets low it can take up to 24 hours to fully recharge it, so I keep my Sonicare on the charger base after every use, so it’s always fully charged and ready to use.
There are three cleaning modes, sensitive, clean, and massage. The clean mode is standard for superior teeth cleaning abilities, while the sensitive mode is more gentle for those with sensitive gums and teeth. The massage mode is great for gently stimulating your gums.
The system also has two routines preprogrammed in, the Go Care Routine and the Max Care Routine. Go Care provides a 1 minute cycle, while the Max Care cycles for 3 minutes and combines both the Clean and the Massage modes.
When you take the toothbrush out of the box, the Sonicare is preset with the Easy-Start feature already activated. This is amazing, but the feature actually increases power over the first 14 brushings which allows you to ease into the Sonicare experience. Of course, if you are sharing this with a partner as I am, I guess it only works for 7 cycles on each person. I do notice that the pressure intensified as I continued to use this toothbrush.
The Smartimer automatically turns the toothbrush off at the end of the preset cycle, and the Quadpacer is an interval timer that beeps and then pauses, allowing you to brush 4 sections of your mouth.
The RS940 is a Deluxe model, and it contains a travel charger that is hidden inside the cover. You can also shorten the power cord by storing any excess in the cord wrap feature also built into the charging base.
Sanitizing
There is a compartment on the left side of the base that contains a UV light. You simply push a button on the top and the door pops open. There are two pegs where you place your toothbrush tops, close the door and turn on the power button to activate the UV cleaning cycle. The sanitizer will only start when the door is securely closed, and this is good since UV light is harmful to the eyes. Because of this, Philips recommends that this unit be kept out of reach of children at all times.
If you open the door during the sanitizing cycle, it will stop the process. It usually takes about ten minutes to complete the cycle and then it automatically shuts itself off. There is a clear plastic window on the bottom of the compartment that will emit a blue/green glow showing you it is activated and working. The UV clean LED light turns solid green when the sanitizing cycle is complete.
Cleaning
Maintenance is minimal with the Sonicare FlexCare. The wand handle can be cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth. The metal shaft that holds the toothbrush simply needs to be rinsed under warm running water. Philips recommends that you remove the brush head from the handle and rinse the connection with warm water about once a week.
A damp cloth is all that is needed to clean the charger, just be sure that the unit is unplugged first! To clean the sanitizer, be sure the bulb is not hot and that it is also unplugged, then lift and pull out the drip tray and wipe with a damp cloth. The silver reflective surface on the inside of the door can also be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Replacing UV Bulb
There is a protective screen in front of the UV bulb that needs to be removed before you can replace the bulb. Replacement bulbs can only be purchased through Sonicare Customer Service.
Warranty
The Sonicare FlexCare RS940 comes with a two year warranty. The brush heads and the UV bulb is not covered under the warranty, nor is normal wear and tear.
My Experience
The first few times I used this toothbrush, I felt a distinct tickling feeling along my gums that was a little unnerving. Indeed the manual states that this is not uncommon, and it will diminish with use. That was my experience as well.
The brush head is much smaller than the manual brushes I was using prior, but this actually makes it much easier to get the inside section of my mouth clean. I have problems with plaque building up in the front area and the Sonicare really helps keep this section clean. The personalized brushing button is easy to use and select the different modes of brushing with a simple push. The LED lights appear by the mode you have chosen.
When I use this I find that it causes a lot of foam, so I don’t use much toothpaste on the brush. It also tends to spit out at me from the force of the vibration, so I learned quickly not to wear my glasses while brushing my teeth.
This system feels very similar to the teeth cleaning from my dentist’s office. I have never felt such clean teeth after a brushing! It’s amazing, and has actually cut my dental cleanings from twice a year to once a year. I also noticed that my teeth do appear whiter in color. I drink a lot of coffee and tea, and my teeth used to have a yellowish tinge that I absolutely hated. After using the Sonicare FlexCare for a month, I noticed an improvement. The product literature states that this system naturally whitens teeth by up to 2.5 shades in 2 weeks. It took a little longer for me to notice the difference, but I did notice whiter teeth.
The built in UV sanitizer kills up to 99% of germs, bacteria and viruses (e-coli, mutans and h.simplex). I feel good knowing that germs are being killed each time I sanitize my brush head. Toothbrushes can actually harbor millions of harmful bacteria!
Sonicare is the number one recommended brand of electric toothbrushes by US dentists, and the FlexCare is the newest, most innovative addition to the Sonicare line.
Sonicare FlexCare is available at stores such as Target and Linens & Things, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. If you don’t have any of those stores in your area, it can be found online at Drugstore.com or Amazon.com. It retails for $179.00.
