Dentist recommended electric toothbrush
 

I went in for my first appointment with a dentist (one that was recommended on this board) and everything went well as far as cleaning, xrays, and exam. But then there was a recommendation for an electric tooth brush: Philips Sonicare FlexCare+. I thought the price of $99.00 was a bit high but I was told that it was a good price, so I bought it.

A few weeks after I bought it, I saw Philips Sonicare advertised as low as $37.00. I know they have different models at different prices. Mine has a built in timer so that it shuts off after 2 min.. That's to make sure you brush for at least two minutes. The trouble is: It always shuts off before I'm finished. I find that anoying. Then it has 5 settings (for vibrations?) and I have a hard time telling the difference between them. So that's another wasted feature, in my opinion.

I called the company and they recommended Philips Sonicare Essence. It's sold at Walmart and should be less expensive. If I like it, I can then return the one I bought from the dentist.

What do you think? Do you have one? Do you like it? Any recommendations for other brands?

I bought an Oral-B at Sam's for $99. It is made by Bruan. The package comes with two complete chargeable toothbrushes and a charging stand. I love it. Wish I had done it 10 years ago.

The dentist sold it to you, Villages Pl? I find that odd....and a little opportunistic for a dentist.

Yes, my dentist told me the same thing, only they don't sell toothbrushes. I bought the Essence at Walmart, for less than $60, I think, two years ago. It works great. I like the two minute timer, and if it goes off you just hit the button again. One thing I don't like is that when you replace the brush, you replace the whole head, not just the brush. The higher models you can just replace the brush. Also I bought one set of replacements with the Walmart house brand, Equate, which I generally like. They did not work well and I went back to the Phillips brand replacements.

I will say though at my next check up there didn't seem to be much difference in my level of plaque. I still like it and use it everyday and gave my son one for Christmas.

Save a few bucks
 

Why don't you just get a Crest or Oral B Spin Brush for 7.99?? Does the same thing.

I've found that many dentist offices in Florida do sell electric toothbrushes which I found odd but am now used to it. We've tried the Braun and Philips, can't see much of a difference in plaque levels either.

I thought so too Happ, but the electric really, is harder on your gums and teeth and really makes a difference.

As an aside, you might want to consider a Water Pik as well. They have sonic toothbrushes as well as water flossers:

Waterpik Oral Health

The water flossers do a great job......JMHO.

Bill :)

The battery ones are not nearly as powerful as the corded/rechargeable ones for more money.

Our dentists in other states have offered the electric brushes at the office, for the same price as retail in the stores. It was usually the hygienist who recommended one over another, from their own personal experience.

My experience after using many different ones is that Sonicare brushes are very flat edged and compact and do not get between the teeth like some of the others that have longer bristles on the sides and tip. I like the electric brushes made by Waterpik, and the water flossers make a huge difference too, when getting an office cleaning/checkup.

I use the spinbrush with salt toothpaste after having used an electric one. Found that the electric was harsher on the teeth. Also used a waterpic and found one at CVS that is portable, battery operated and only $25 (it is a cvs brand). It is fabulous and does a better job I think than the electric waterpic. I like it because it isn't so hard on the gums and still flushes out the stuff. Still have to floss. Also have the Oral B flosser which is also useful. For me Oil pulling in the morning has reduced alot of plaque buildup and brushing with Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar which was recommended by a periodontist. Finally found a hygienist and after a 2yr gap, I didn't have as much plaque as I expected so something must be working.

If it isn't enough that dentist charge a fortune for what they do, they have to get into sales of toothbrushes? Next they will charge for parking and offer oil changes for your car while they are working on you. I went to a dentist in S. Florida years ago who I thought I liked then realized how much he was ripping me off, also selling toothbrushes. He gave me a price for dental work that was more than I paid for my car and after really questioning him found he'd do the work for less than half the price. Obviously I never went back.
Electric toothbrushes are better than you could possible do with an ordinary toothbrush but you don't have to pay those kind of prices for them. Check Wallyworld (Walmart) and look for a toothbrush that most stores carry. That way you can get replacement brushes anywhere. I got a very good one at Bath and Beyond years ago (Braun) but replacement brushes are hard to find.

It was the hygienist, but, indirectly, it was the dentist who sold it to me. The buck stops with the dentist, right? It was opportunistic!

We apparently go to the same dentist, I got the same brush.....have noticed a difference with my teeth (dentist did too) and the dentist is WONDERFUL!

I think many dentists do this.

Well it is new to me and dentistry here is very different than dentistry in Cincinnati. They give you coupons for a discount on electric toothbrushes and give you samples of toothpaste.

I am wondereing if the Dental Hygienist at our dentist is an independent person renting space in that office because I was told that I had gum problems and needed deep cleaning to the tune of over a thousand dollars and two dentists have told me that my gum health is great including the dentist owner of the dental practice that the hygienist worked for or with or rented from.... She dug down so far into my gums I thought she was left over from the inquisition...but that is another issue..

I haven't had any gum problems in decades since I started storing my toothbrush in a glass of Hydrogen Peroxide.

I'm an orthodontist and have always felt selling extra stuff through my practice is kinda tacky but I know a lot of guys that do it. Some put on a hard sell and I think it makes some patients feel like they need to buy in order to keep the dentist happy and consequently treat them "right". IMHO nobody needs an electronic toothbrush if they know how to brush their teeth right and take the time to do it properly.

I have dental implants as well as Sjogrens (dry mouth). The dental hygentist, the 1st time I visited her here, recommended an electric toothbrush as well as a water-pik. I have both!! The next time I saw her she told me the difference was nearly night and day. In the beginning apparently I had early signs of gum disease and more. I really feel a difference myself--my mouth feels so much cleaner!! Anything we can do to have good mouth-health is very important. It can be life-threatening as there's a coorelation of mouth issues with heart issues.

Oh...I bought my items at the drug store and not from the dentist!!!! So it wasn't a "money making" deal for him!!

I've used the Braun Oral B electric for years & it has made a huge difference with my dental issues. Bought it at Walmart for approx $30- $35. It has the 2 minute timer and a charging base. Use to use a waterpik until I was told it was not a good thing for me since I have advance gingevitis. Good luck in your decision

It is nice that the Dentist introduced patients to these toothbrushes.

Many Moons ago.........
My Dentist GAVE the Electric brushes to everyone in
my family and all my relatives and in-laws.
We all were patients there.
.....Of course that Dentist and myself have been friends (continously)... ...........since 4th grade.

Do not know if he sold them to others...
..but about 14 units were free for our extended family.

..... Several years later...
Moved to New area.....I bought 2 from the new dentist.

Several years later.....
Moved to Villages...New Dentist here sold them and I bought another.

Sounds like some Dentists have them available, as a convenience
to their patients.

My Newest unit is the $99 super-duper from Sams Club.
Santa brought this one.
I found it odd that Santa and Youngblood (SON) have
identical handwriting.

I'm glad to hear that you like your Oral-B brush. A few years back when CD rates were up around 5.5%, a local bank gave me a "free" Oral-B brush as a gift for opening a new account. (Boy, those days are long gone!) Anyway, I could never get used to it. The round head just didn't seem to work well in my mouth. I still have it but it's not doing me any good.

What I like about the Philips Sonicare (FlexCare+) is that the brush itself is shaped like a regular toothbrush. It's difficult to explain but it just seems to work better for me.

Yes, I like the dentist too, and the hygienist. And now that I have visited Walmart, I think I will most likely keep the Sonicare electric I bought from the dentist. I wouldn't save much by changing to the Sonicare Essence. And the more I use my Sonicare (FlexCare+) electric the more I like it.

Bill,

I did use a Water Pik for several years; it was one that I bought at Walmart. Eventually, it broke and, at that time, Walmart didn't stock them anymore. I thought that was odd. But now it seems they have them again. Next time I go to Walmart I'll look them over.

One thing I wonder: Does anyone know if dentists/hygienists recommend them?

Our dentist here in Ahia recommended the Water Pik for me. From my experience in using it, I feel it does a good job. The dentist's hygienist agrees. They don't sell such things in their office - they recommended several places locally where they could be purchased.......so they had no skin in the game.

Bill :)

I think we have the same dentist. Although the hygienist did recommend and offer the Sonicare I knew I could get it cheaper at SAMs Club and said so. There was no pressure. As a tip, I occasionally add hydrogen peroxide to the water in the water pic. Makes my mouth feel really clean!

Can you believe it? Three pages on tooth brushes!

It becomes a little more important than it used to be.

Teeth problems appear right along with arthritis as people get older.

I am blessed not to have arthritis but I have more crowns than the entire British Royal family!

I forgot to mention there's no taxes when you buy from the dentist and I sent in a form to the company for a ten dollar rebate. So, it will actually cost me 89 dollars.

Let's make it 4 pages! :thumbup:

I have one crown and two missing teeth. We are both lucky when you consider that about 1/3 of all people over 65 have no remaining natural teeth.

P.S. It seems to me that crowns are very much like natural teeth. You don't have to take them out at night and soak them in a glass of water.

Sonicare Toothbrush
 

I also have the Sonicare. I worked in a dental practice or almost 20 years, and Phillips, the maker of Sonicare supplied each of us, at an employee cost, the newest edition available for testing. The other companies also do the same. All employees - dentist, assistants, hygienist, and ancillary staff members try them, and if you do not like it, can return it after the trials are complete. They are rated and feedback supplied to the company.
Over the years, we sold the Sonicare in our office, and believe me, it is not a money-makers for the dentist. They are sold so that the patient uses it to improve their dental health. We always sold them for less than the Big-store prices. Also, the warranty on the dental practice issue was a longer warranty. It is also easy to send them to Phillips, within the warranty time, for replacement or repair. Do not press it against your teeth...let it glide over your teeth and gum tissue.

Another thing, if it seems to shut off too soon, maybe your finger accidentally touches the on/off button. Or maybe you are brushing longer than the 2 minutes (yeah!)

Thanks for the tip about not pressing it against teeth. I was wondering about that. Another thing I wonder is if you are supposed to use toothpaste. If so, how do you apply it? Do you put it on the brush?