Philips Sonicare brushing modes explained - Electric Teeth (2024)

Why is it that power tooth brushes do not hold enough tooth paste for cleaning and stain removal?

To my knowlege Chargles tha amount of toothpaste has little to do with effective stain removal.If you have heavy staining have you considered a whitening toothpaste or a cleaning from a dental hygienist?

A question: my Sonicare brush MX686P, has two modes: clean and white, but no gum health mode. Since I like to massage my gums, what mode and intensity (low or high) would you recommend using for massaging, or does it make any difference what settings I use? Thanks.

I would generally suggest opt for clean mode on low intensity. But, it isn't going to make a signficant different. Find what is comofrtable for you.

Jon, first thank you so much for your explanations!!! I hang on every word your say. You explain in layman terminology! I want to know what Philip Sonicare “MODELS" have the 31,000 strokes/ 62,000 bristle movements per min.? I purchased from Costco, a 2pk Optimal Clean $99. (not on sale yet) and a Perfect Clean $169.99 (now on sale for $129.99). I am searching to find out if they both have the 62,000 bristle movements per min. We had Diamond Clean twice and both times 1 handle would get so loud and then something inside started rattling. The brushhead did not feal secure on the handle. They worked fine for approximately 1 yr and we both liked them when they worked, but now we are done with that model also due to its very short longevity! Also with Diamond Clean, we did not notice there was a change in speed/sound from one mode to another. So now we don’t want all the bells and whistles. I just want a good Clean and Whitening mode that operate at the highest level of strokes and movement 62,000.So Jon if you are aware and able to share the names of the models or code number on the bottom of the handles, that are at the 62,000 bristle movements per minute, that would safe me a ton of more time searching on the web., which is not my favorite thing to do!!!! Haaa haaaa haaaaaaa.

Hey.So it is probably easier for me to list out which brushes to avoid than all the ones that do have 31,000 brush strokes/62,000 movements.The main brushes that don't have thigh high number of momvenets are:Essence,Daily Clean,2 SeriesEasyClean (much older model now)PowerUpAdvance (much older model now)Elite (much older model now)Philips One1100/1000 Series,3100/3000 Series4100/4000 SeriesThe Optimal Clean and Perfect Clean do have 31,000/62,000 as far as I am aware. And truthfully that Optimal Clean at $99 for 2 brush handles is a fantastic price. You'r not likely to find much better.As for the DiamondClean models that are no longer working, have you contacted Philips to check if they are under warranty and could be reapried?

Thank you Jon… you are an excellent, conscientious communicator and this world needs more people like you! So yes initially I contacted Philips Sonicare and their customer service was terrible! 🤮They did not send the same model and bla bla bla. I returned it to Costco and got another one much, much simpler than dealing with Philips Sonicare❣️However, recently I was in touch with 2 folks in the “Oral Health Care” department at Philips Sonicare. They knew info on just certain models that I guess dentist use, and really they said they were not to be dealing with customers like me, only professionals! They did not know the specs. about Optimum Clean.Thank you for all your time and knowledge that you shared with me and others! Keep up the good work and I know who to contact if I have other questions about electric toothbrushes.

I am looking for the Phillip's Sonicare 4700 but cannot find it. Please help

You are looking to buy it? If so, I don't think this is available any longer. Or are you looking for something else in relation to it?

My dentist recommended and offered to sell the 4700. Is there anything comparable to this one and if so, where it the best place to buy it? I really don't want to spend much over $100 for a toothbrush. Thanks for your help.

Hi Nora. OK, so I 'think' this is a dentist only version, hence it is not seen on store shelves/the internet much. The closest equivalent is the ProtectiveClean 5100 . It's a solid toothbrush. Limited complaints about this one. Amazon is usually one of the most competitively priced outlets for it. The Sonicare 4100 Series is a bit cheaper, but there are a few sacrifices.

They make it confusing don’t they!! Your opinion, would you say the Diamond Clean series, the Expert and the 9900 Prestige have the stronger frequencies of the sonicares

Hi Julie.Yes, they do make it confusing. Yes, these models do tends to have more movements (the feeling of more power) compared to some of the cheaper models.It doesn't necessarily mean they are 'better' there are a number of factors to consider.

Hi John, what are the other factors to consider? Do you think that these more expensive models clean more effectively or its mostly marketing (e.g. paying for the sleeker toothbrush, wireless charging, etc.)?

The main factors to consider are your brushing time and technique. You can have the best toothbrush available, but if you don't brush for long enough or with the right technique then you won't gain the benefits.If you are brushing for 2 minutes twice a day and using the correct technique, the extra movements of these models, compared to some others may be beneficial, but the gains will be marginal.Your dentist wouldn't generally be able to tell if you were brushing with a £50 or £250 brush.You are generally paying for extra features, you might not used.

Hi John hope you are well!My question is of which models you mentioned above can actually reach the 62,000 movements (as well as the 31,000 brush strokes)?Only expert, diamond and prestige?I’m happy to spend around 100/150 but didn’t want to stretch much more. But I do like the sound of 62,000 movements…

Hi Liam.Can I be so bold as to suggest you opt for the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100.It is basically the best value model to offer the movements/strokes you want.Despite technically not offering what you want the 4100 Series is my top pick of all the Sonicare brushes for most users.With that said here are the brushes that offer the 62,000 movements/31,000 brush strokes.ProtectiveClean 5100ProtectiveClean 6100ExpertCleanDiamondCleanDiamondClean Smart 9300DiamondClean Smart 9500DiamondClean Smart 9700DiamondClean Smart 97509900 Prestige

I have 2 Sonicare bases. How often should I should I rotate them?

There isn't necessarily a need to rotate them unless you particularly want to. It would be advisable every now and again to keep the battery topped up on the one you are not using to make sure it continues to function.

Hi I have a diamond clean that doesn’t use brush sync technology but I have lots of brush sync tooth brush heads from my other protective clean brush, can I use the brush sync brushes on the standard diamond clean, will they still fit and work or do I need to buy standard brush heads?

You can use them Chris, no problem. They will work. You just won't get any of the BrushSync benefits.

Is it bad to leave toothbrush plugged in all of the time?

Most toothbrushes have technology that prevents the battery from overcharging if they are left on the stand and constantly plugged in. In most instances, it is fine to leave them constantly plugged in.That said, if you can unplug so it is not always on charge this will be better for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the battery is not constantly being 'topped up' so theoretically at least you will preserve the battery a little longer. So if you use the toothbrush, don't just plug it back in, let it discharge over a few days or weeks (subject to your model) until the battery is nearly depleted, then recharge it.Secondly, the charger is always trying to deliver power to the toothbrush, even if it doesn't need it. By unplugging it you can prevent any wastage of power and reduce the chance of the charger getting warm etc.

my brush heads don't fit snuggly on the handle head, there is a small gap - is there a reason why? I am using the philips sonicare brushes

Hi Lynn, If the gap you are referring too is small, approx 1-2mm then this is normal.

Do you know how the Sensitive mode compares with the low intensity on the standard Clean mode?Basically, I'm wondering if the Sonicare 6100's low-intensity setting will be more gentle than the Sensitive mode on a different brush.

Hi Laura.It is very difficult to say conclusively. I would say it was comparable. So, the lowest intensity Clean mode would be about the same intensity as sensitive mode on a different brush.

Would you happen to know if the Oral B "Sensitive" mode is more gentle than Sonicare's Sensitive (or low) mode? Wondering if Sonicare tends to be more gentle even on the same setting as Oral B.

Hi Laura. It is difficult to make a direct comparison because the cleaning action is different. Therefore the way the brush head moves, the power and feeling in use are not the same.The brush head attached can have a bearing too. As a general rule, I think people find Sonicare the more gentle of the 2 brands. It can feel a little less intense.

This article is very helpful. Thanks!!

Thanks for your response Jon!I did not set up the app with the brush. I did consider that the new brush heads I bought were causing an error-proofing function to engage by not allowing for the gum care option. Then I read somewhere that the brush head did not matter. I’ll look for the gum care brush head in the future. Susan T

Thanks for further confirmation. Clearly, my suggestion was not correct! 😕If you have not already, I would get in contact with Sonicare, because it should be the case of being fixed to using 1 type of brush head.

I have the 9300 DiamondClean Smart Philips Sonicare system. In addition to clean, the options are white+, gum health and deep clean+. I have always used the gum health option. When I take the brush head off, the gum health option is highlighted. As soon as I put the brush head back on, only the clean option highlights. No matter what I do, I can’t get the options to change. I have never had this problem before as I have changed the brush head in the past.Thank you for your help! Susan T

Hello again Susan.Thanks for the additional information. This is really helpful. I have to admit this sounds a little odd. But, I think I know what is possibly causing it.Before I go into detail on this, just for your info, if you were not already aware:Certain brush heads are configured to work with certain brush handles to select the most appropriate cleaning mode. For example if you fit a 'whitening' brush head, it will select the 'whitening' brushing mode automatically. However, this can usually be overridden.As a result, I don't think this is what is causing this issue.What I am more inclined to think the problem might be is linked to the smartphone application with this brush. Have you connected the brush to the smartphone app and set a specific goal? If so, I think by setting this mode, may have disabled the cleaning modes.You should be able to edit/cancel the goal to restore the settings.If you have not set this goal, but have connected to the app, the next step would be to reset the handle via the settings of the smartphone app.Failing that a call into Sonicare is going to be required as I can't think what else it would be.Please do let me know the outcome.

I recently replaced the brush head on my DiamondCare brush. Up to this point I’ve been using the gum health mode successfully, however, after changing the brush this time I can’t move from the “clean” option to the “gum health” option as though the button is frozen.

Hi Susan.Do you know specifically what model of brush you have? Are there more modes on your brush than just clean and gum health? Can you use any of those?If you remove the brush head and turn the brush on are you able to access the different cleaning modes?Please do not put the toothbrush in the mouth with the brush head detached. 👍

Got it! Thank you so much!

I have a brand new Diamond Clean brush and changing modes is different than my previous model. It seems that I need to have the toothbrush on to change from clean mode to another mode. But if I have toothpaste on my brush, I have to have the brush in my mouth or the toothpaste splatters everywhere. So how do I know, then, which mode I am moving into other than by pushing the on-off and counting to for example, the 5th mode? Is there a way to choose the mode before turning on the toothbrush without it defaulting to clean mode?

Hi Kathy.Great question. It is not ideal is it, particularly when some Sonicare models have a dedicated cleaning mode button that allows you to change the mode before turning the brush on.There is no way to change the mode prior to turning the brush on.However, the brush will remember and should default to the last mode used, providing it finished the cleaning cycle. So, if for example you want it to default to the 5th cleaning mode I would do as follows.The best thing to do, is with no water or toothpaste on the brush is to turn the brush on with a single press on the power button, then press it quite quickly a further 4 times. This will take you to the 5th cleaning mode. Let it finish the cleaning cycle and it should then default here in future.Alternatively, you could put paste on the brush and use it whilst doing this, just make sure to pop it in the mouth before doing so.

I have the white Sonicare diamondclean model# HX993 W. I've been trying to purchase a charging base for it, since the original has gone missing. I purchased one online only to have returned it, as this model is NOT interchangeable with any similar charging bases.. Now, your listing for this base indicates it IS compatible with the HX993 X model..My question is, the model numbers listed in your campatability and my unit are the same WITH THE EXCEPTOIN of the very last character of the model #. Yours lists HX***X as mine ends in HX***W.. what do the "X" or the "W" represent?? And would that difference in letters render my handle INcompatible with your charging base.. ???

Manuel.Thank you for the reply.This article you are commenting on makes no reference to charging bases for any Sonicare toothbrush. I do not know where you have purchased it from etc.Let me also be clear, that we are not Sonicare here at Electric Teeth, so I have no control over their listings. 😀Nonetheless, you have a DiamondClean model that does require a different charging base compared to the vast majority of other Sonicare models. There is no recess in the base of your brush handle, like most other handles. This means that the more typical/common stand with the prong on the top is not suitable.The 2 parts I believe you need are available on the following links:https://philips.encompass.com/item/9665492/Sonicare/423509003180/Charging_Base_Diamond_Clean,_Whitehttps://philips.encompass.com/item/9665489/Sonicare/423509003100/Charging_Cover_stand_DiamondclI am not aware of any reason why there should be any compatibility issues if your model has a 'W' at the end compared to the 'x' quoted. I am not sure what the X actually stands for but the W I think it for White as I believe this is the color of your brush handle.I really do hope the above links help.

Please confirm if this unit is compatible with Sonicare Diamondclean HX993 W. I do see that it is compatible with HX993 X.Not sure what the difference is between X and W. I do know that this model handle is NOT interchangeable with similar chargers.Tried it and failed..

Manuel.I am more than happy to help you, but I am not sure what precisely you are referring to.You say 'Please confirm if this unit is compatible with Sonicare Diamondclean HX993 W', what unit are you referring to?It sounds like you may well be asking about some form of charging solution for the brush, but I am not entirely sure.

My DiamondClean Classic died after 2 years. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and went with the ProtectiveClean. It feels much less intense using the standard mode than the Diamond did, but my teeth still feel clean. I am not sure why the intensity is different if the brush strokes are the same, but it seems to be doing its job.

Thank you so much for putting this chart together! My 10 year old Sonicare finally died when the cast metal in the head finally broke. I've repaired/rebuilt the toothbrush several times but it was overdue for replacement. The Sonicare site is awful and confusing but your charts and descriptions helped me narrow my choice down to the DiamondClean Classic.

Hi Jon.It sounds like the Sonicare has served you well. Always disappointing when they finally fail, even if you probably knew it was coming.Pleased that I have been able to help.

I am so frustrated with Sonicare's, and now your, information. As an aside, I'm a dentist and my wife a hygienist. I can tell you all of the different modes are utter nonsense. Truly incredible marketing madness. You only need one mode and it is the mode at the highest intensity. The highest intensity mode is the mode best at removing plaque and it will not harm your teeth. Gums don't benefit from "stimulation"--they benefit from plaque removal from the teeth. And one's tongue doesn't need a special setting (and most people don't even need to have their tongues brushed at all).The frustration is that at least one of the low-cost models has a lower "intensity" or "power" than the high power setting on the more expensive 3 power models ("power" or "intensity" not to be confused with "mode" of which there can be 5-8). i.e. it simply is not as strong as the high power setting on the more expensive models that have the 3 power level choices.I recently bought their least expensive model assuming the intensity would be the same as my previous Sonicare. I thought I would be getting the same intensity (power) minus all of the useless "modes". Wrong. This particular Sonicare single-power model was not nearly as powerful as the high setting on my wife's 3 power setting model.My question--which is not answered on your site or theirs--is, is there a single-power low-cost model for which the intensity/power is the same as the high setting on the more expensive 3 power models?It is just kind of mind-boggling that with all of their models, modes, and prices, one cannot find this most basic and important piece of information. The only significant difference between any of the modes, models, and prices is the intensity. Sorry, but everything else is just marketing nonsense gone crazy.

Hi John.Thanks for the comment.I can understand your frustration and for the most part agree with what you are saying.The average user does not need all of these extra cleaning modes.I am sure Sonicare would dispute the extra modes as marketing nonsense, but they do not help their case by failing to clearly explain the different modes and the power levels they use.I am no scientist or product engineer and can only go by my use and personal testing of the products to compare the power and brushing ability.I am not sure which low end model you have recently purchased that you believe has a lower intensity in comparison to the other brush you have compared it against.As far as I am aware the standard clean mode has the same intensity in all models, but perhaps not. Maybe differences do exist.Sadly I have no superior knowledge and Sonicare are not very forthcoming with such information.Do you believe, that the extra intensity/power really makes that much difference?Clinical studies have of course shown the benefit of going electric, but many professions, yourself included perhaps, say a manual brush is fine, if used correctly?!Is the power of the model you bought not sufficient enough to give a good standard of clean, in your opinion?

I just bought the Sonicare 9300. After using it, I went online to watch videos about it and found out that the 9500 and up had the tonguecare option. Is there a mode that is comparable for me to use on my 9300? Also, I didn’t realize mine didn’t have the portable charging case. I thought I could order it from the company and also make sure it’s comparable but it didn’t have the option for me to order just the case. Is there a place to order the case and is mine compatible to charge in the travel case? Mine does charge in the glass. Thank you for any info help you could give on either of these questions or both.

Hi Angel.The tonguecare mode is a shorter brushing mode compared to most others.None of the modes on the 9300 are set to the short 20 second cycle of the tonguecare mode on the 9500, but you can manually turn the brush off sooner if you wish. I would suggest the gum health mode would be ideal.By no means essential, you can buy the TongueCare brush head if you want and use it on any mode available on the 9300, but a standard brush head can be used also, it will do a comparable job.In terms of the case, yes you can buy the USB charging case.

I am trying to figure out which brush to buy. My current Sonicare, which I've used for a number of years, has bit the dust. I have always used the sensitive setting, but since am upgrading would like the app and these two features don't seem to be an option on one brush. A diamond clean with a glass charger is not an option since I have a toddler that is interested in my toothbrush. So I'm wondering on the toothbrushes with 3 modes and 3 intensities what would be the equivalent to my beloved sensitive mode? Any input is appreciated!

Hi Britt.In answer to your question, the product you want is coming very soon. It is called the Sonicare ExpertClean 7500.It doesn't have a sensitive mode, but you can change the intensity, to make it more gentle, which will achieve the same thing.It has just launched and the first stock has yet to ship, but you can order it here on amazon.Full information on the Sonicare website here.I will review it once it launches, but I expect it to be a good option.

Funny you should say that, I currently have they model in my cart on Amazon! Assuming all brush heads will work on it? Thanks for the info!!

Hi Britt! Good work on finding that this new ExpertClean is what you need.All the Sonicare brush heads work on with this toothbrush, but if you want to take advantage of the BrushSync features, make sure you are buying the BrushSync enabled heads.

In the past there was a single intensity that was fine. Later I noticed a low end sonicare lacked the intensity of a three intensity handle that was set to high. One thing I never learn from these online comparisons, is there a standard intensity level and is that equivalent to low/medium/high on the toothbrushes with multiple intensity settings...

Hi Jeff.As far as I am aware, the high intensity is 31,000 brush stokes (62,000 movements). This intensity is the default on all brushes that do not have the option to change the intensity.The medium and low intensity settings found on some brushes are slower/less movements, but the exact number I have not been able to get confirmation of. I hope this helps.

This was the question I was looking for, thank you for the ask and the answer. If the high intensity is standard, I can't quite see a reason to go beyond the 4100. Thank you for this site and all the videos. Philips should be the one doing it!

Hi Brandon.It is worth clarifying, whilst I generally agree that the Sonicare 4100 is the best overall option within the Sonicare range, the newest 4100, the 4100 Series, doesn't offer 31,000 brush strokes & 62,000 movements.The older 4100 ProtectiveCLean did.The 4100 motor does offer up to 31,000 brush strokes, but it doesn’t achieve the 62,000 movements often quoted with the more expensive models. It is configured differently.As a result, the 4100 can feel less powerful/intense compared to some other Sonicare toothbrushes.Truthfully I don't think it makes a big difference, but I explain it here in my 4100 Series review.