Customer Reviews

Oral B Pulsonic Sonic Electric Rechargeable Power Toothbrush

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(72)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

The Oral-B Pulsonic is a wonderful addition to the rechargeable electric/sonic toothbrush market. It is more slender, more quiet than the Philips Sonicare Flexcare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush I own, although it doesn't have as many features. Both clean equally well; you'll notice whiter teeth within a few days of use. Choosing between the two will be a matter of personal preference for most consumers.

The ultra-slender handle of the Pulsonic feels close to a regular toothbrush, particularly if you're used to the heftier ones on the market, making it easy to maneuver the brush around the mouth. The fine vibrations barely travel down the handle --unlike all of other rechargeables I've used, including an older Oral-B model-- and thus minimize annoyance. The included "Precision Tip" brush head is great for cleaning between teeth, although people with sensitive gums may find it too much. (Note: these sonic toothbrushes maintain and improve gum health, so what may be uncomfortable during the first two weeks may not be a problem later.)

This brush has two speeds: "clean" and "sensitive." Although the instructions say that the sensitive speed is for tongue and gums, it's also a great speed for gradually introducing sonic cleaning before you step up to full speed vibrations. Like the Sonicare, the vibrations briefly change tempo when it's time to move to another area of the mouth. The brush pulses twice when two full minutes have passed since turning on the unit.

The Oral-B addresses some complaints I have about the Sonicare. One, it comes with a charger stand that can be mounted on the wall, allowing you to choose whether you want it on or off the counter. Two, the charger has a well for the body, making it difficult to knock it over by accident. The handle may not fit tightly into the well, but it definitely stays put. (The stand also has room for two brush heads.) Three, when you've finished all four quadrants, the toothbrush does not shut off automatically, making it much easier to brush your tongue or to spend a little extra time on a specific area after the two minutes are up.

That's not to say that the Oral-B doesn't have drawbacks. To get to the sensitive mode, you have to click through the regular mode, which means that either you'll have a brief time with the faster vibrations or you'll run the risk of splattering toothpaste. Likewise, if you are on the regular cleaning mode, you have to press the button twice to turn it off -- once to get to sensitive mode and another to shut it off. The Sonicare allows you to choose the mode with a separate button, and the mode will "stick" time after time unless you change it. (Also, the Sonicare has five different modes, including a regimen that include gum massaging and one that allows for four-quadrant quick brushing.) The instructions for the Oral-B also suggest circular movement around the tooth, thus demanding more work from the user. It's not clear whether this type of motion is really necessary or whether it's simply Oral-B technique; I'm not even sure my hygienist will know. In any case, I followed the instructions, and while I did get teeth as clean as I do with the Sonicare, I disliked the extra movement. Also, Oral-B doesn't offer different-size brush heads, although I wouldn't be surprised if they offered them in the future.

All in all, I really like the Pulsonic Power, although right now I prefer the Sonicare because of its extra features and the way it fits into my hand. However, the Pulsonic Power beats the Sonicare hands down for quietness, small size, and its charger stand. This is truly a next-generation sonic toothbrush that, despite its lack of extra features, may set a new standard.

I have pretty much had and tested them all: The Oral-B Triumph, the Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite, and now the Oral-B Pulsonic. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but the Pulsonic leaves me a bit unsure.

The design of this brush is very reminiscent of the Sonicare toothbrushes, right down to the stand which always looked different on all the previous Oral-B electric brushes. This design really looks like a stripped-down baby version of the Sonicare.

First of, the brush itself is extremely slim and light-weight for an electric brush. So much so that one wonders whether it can actually "do the job". So after charging it the required 12 hours, I tried it out for the first time. I did not find it any different in power than the Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite, it felt the same.

What is different is that the Pulsonic's manual instructs the user to move the brush over the teeth in a circular motion, very much like one is supposed to do with a manual brush. I, for one, didn't quite like this although I can see the benefit of doing it this way. The Pulsonic has - like the Sonicare and unlike the Oral-B Triumph - a regular (yet contoured) brush head. The shape of such a brush head makes it difficult to sufficiently cover the entire tooth. One is always either cleaning along the gumline or more towards the bite. Using circular motion prevents that only parts of the teeth are cleaned. Yet - I have been using electric toothbrushes for so long that I have gotten used to not really having to do anything but hold the brush head to the teeth. So this is a change I am not sure I like too much.

Also - these rectangular brush heads don't seem to work too well for me personally. I have a small mouth and find it difficult to easily brush my teeth with these brush heads, especially the insides of the front teeth. It always feels as if I can't quite reach all the surfaces, especially the areas along the gumline, and that leaves me wondering whether I get as complete a cleaning as I should be getting.

Philips has tried to address this problem by offering a smaller brush head for the Sonicare, but Oral-B doesn't seem to have that. So this is not optimal for me.

What I did like about the Pulsonic though is that it comes with a second "Precision Tip" brush head. I found this to be a great way to really get into the spaces between teeth and I give Oral-B a big thumbs-up for this one.

Lastly, the Pulsonic, like the other models and brands, informs the user audibly when it is time to change to a different "quadrant" to be brushed, and when the two minutes recommended brush time are over.

All in all this is probably a brush I will take along when travelling - the light weight but equal power output make it perfect for that, but at home I will likely stay with the Oral-B Triumph and its round brush heads. I just feel that these heads reach all areas of my teeth better and also feel more comfortable on the sensitive areas of my mouth.

The Oral-B Pulsonic Sonic Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush is a great product at a pretty good price, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.

I've been using an Oral-B Professional rechargeable toothbrush for about 4 years now and I really like it. The Oral-B Professionals have the circular brush head and work differently than the Pulsonic or Philips's Sonicare toothbrushes. Even though I love my old Professional model, I think I'm going to stick with the Pulsonic, for several reasons.

The Pulsonic is a surprisingly very light and skinny rechargeable toothbrush that has similar dimensions to a $3 manual toothbrush. It's a lot easier to hold and manipulate than the Professional model and probably the bulky Philips model, too. The brush head of the Pulsonic is a breeze to take on and off; you slide it onto the unit and then give it a quarter-twist. The brush head locks into place. I hate how the brush head gets stuck on my Professional model, so this is a big advantage of the Pulsonic. The operation of the toothbrush is basically the same, there's one button that you press to cycle between On, Sensitive, and Off. When it's in the On mode, the Pulsonic vibrates in 4, 30 second intervals with a short stutter in between to let you know to switch to a different quadrant of your mouth for a complete 2 minute cleaning.

The brush head of the Pulsonic is shaped much like a regular toothbrush, and is different than the Professional's circular head. The Pulsonic assists in cleaning by sending out sonic pulses, similar to a jewelry sonication cleaner. This is used to blast off debris and break up bacteria biofilms that are populating your teeth and gums. The Professional uses a fast sweeping motion of its circular head to clean your teeth. Here's where I feel is the key difference that should determine which type of toothbrush you should get. I actually think the Professional cleans my teeth a little better and with less effort on my part because you just sort of place the brush head on top of each tooth. The Pulsonic requires you to make tiny circular motions over your teeth and assists your cleaning with the sonic vibrations. The Pulsonic still does a great job cleaning your teeth, don't get me wrong, it's much better than a manual toothbrush. But where the Pulsonic wins is with my gums. I've never had a cavity, but the dentist always complains that my gums are a little too puffy or too red. After using the Pulsonic for 3 weeks, my gums seem to be a much healthier shade of pink, with reduced puffiness. I don't get that kind of effect with the Professional model.

The other thing I'll mention about the Pulsonic is the base. The base has a small footprint size and the Pulsonic simply rests in a small hole in the base. It's a bit wobbly, but it works alright. The problem I have, however, is that there are only two spots for brush heads. The unit comes with one brush head and one precision tip for cleaning tight spots or around dental work (works pretty well, too). So really, this is just a one person toothbrush based on the spots for brush head storage. If you have 2 or more people in the house that want to share the toothbrush and have their own brush head(s) it's an annoying inconvenience.

So I think the choice is up to your specific needs. If you are looking for a rechargeable toothbrush and commonly have cavity problems, then maybe you want to go with one of the high-end Oral-B models that have a circular head. If you want a toothbrush that does a better job keeping your gums in top shape, then I'd recommend the Pulsonic. I'm not a dentist, so that's just my opinion. For my needs, though, I'll be sticking with the Pulsonic.

UPDATE:
I went to the dentist recently for my standard 6-month check-up. I've never had cavity problems before, but the dentist had always warned me that my gums and gum pockets were borderline beginning to show problems. Well, on this trip the dentist said my teeth were immaculate and my gums and pockets were all within normal, healthy scoring ranges on the scale they use to rate gum disease progression. While the hygienist was cleaning my teeth she asked, "do you use an electric toothbrush?" When I replied yes, she said, "yeah, I can tell." So, there ya go. I had been using the Pulsonic for maybe 6-7 weeks prior to the dentist visit and my gums are in the best shape they've been in in years. With that, I'll repeat my recommendation that people who have slightly inflamed gums, or gums teetering towards developing gum disease may get some valuable help from this toothbrush.

I have used many different power toothbrushes over the past several years. All have been from the Sonicare and Oral-B line of products. I have been amazed at how the technology and design of these products have changed over the years. They continue to get smaller, more powerful, and now tend to include multiple operation modes and interchangeable brushes and accessories. Although there is clearly nothing wrong with scrubbing your teeth the traditional way, with a good old-fashioned toothbrush, I find that the power toothbrushes tend to remove stains better and keep my teeth whiter.

Gone are the days when a power toothbrush was a rather bulky, noisy product. Oral-B has introduced a new, extremely slim, power toothbrush that is not much bigger than a traditional (manual) toothbrush. The new Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush is truly a breakthrough in power toothbrush design. Weighing a mere 1.8 oz., with the brush head attached, the dimensions of the handle and brush assembly is roughly 8 1/4" long and only 11/16" (just under 3/4") around at the thickest part of the handle. The brush head is about 2/3 of the width and 3/4 of the length of a traditional toothbrush. The charging base measures approximately 1 3/4" - H x 1 5/8" - W x 3" - D. While I like the small footprint of the charging base, I find it a bit too light, which causes it to slide around on the countertop too easily.

Some of the manufacturer boasted features of the Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush are as follows:

* Provides Gentle Sonic Vibration - More than 27,000 Vibrations per Minute
* Multiple User Modes: Clean (normal) and Sensitive
* Super-Thin Bristles for Precision Cleaning, Polishing and Whitening
* Professional Timer, Providing Tactile Feedback at 30-second Intervals for Changing Quadrants of Your Mouth, and Once the Dental Expert Recommended 2-minute Brushing Time Has Been Reached
* Provides Up To 30 Minutes Of Use Between Charges
* Reduces Up to 94% of Surface Stains in 2 Weeks
* Lightweight Slim Handle Provides Effective Maneuverability and Control
* Warranty: 2-Year Limited

The current Pulsonic S15 kit includes the following items:

- Oral-B Pulsonic Power Handle
- One Standard Pulsonic Brush Head
- One Precision Tip Brush Head
- Charging Base w/ Brush Head Storage
- Instruction Manual
- Misc. Warranty and Registration Paperwork

Setting up and using the Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush couldn't be any easier. The small charging base simply plugs into an available A/C outlet and sits on your countertop. Although the instruction manual doesn't specifically mention anything about mounting the charging base, there are two slotted holes on the backside, which would allow for wall mounting. Once the charging base is plugged in you simply sit the Pulsonic Power Brush handle into a recessed opening on the front of the base. As with most rechargeable products these days, you must initially wait several hours for the device to charge before you begin using it. The Pulsonic toothbrush requires 12 hours on the charging base before it is fully charged. The instructions do not say anything about using the toothbrush before it is fully charged, so I guess one could try it out within an hour or two if they wished. There are two other recessed openings on the base, to allow for storage of the included Precision Tip brush head and a spare standard brush head. The front of the toothbrush handle has a single power/mode button and three indicator lights. Two of the LED indicators show what cleaning mode the brush is in, when powered on (clean or sensitive), while the third LED lights up when the device is charging. A single push of the power/mode button activates the power toothbrush in "Clean" mode, while a second push of the button switches the toothbrush into "Sensitive" mode. Pushing the button a third time powers the toothbrush off. Therefore, if you push the button once, and use the standard clean mode, you will need to push the button twice more in order to power the device off.

Unlike the typical oscillating head type power toothbrushes that Oral-B is known for, which require the user to simply hold the head on each tooth for cleaning, this Pulsonic model requires you to move the head around in a circular motion while cleaning. This can take a little getting used to if you are more accustomed to the oscillating brush-type models, like I am. There is no need to scrub your teeth with the Pulsonic toothbrush. You simply move the brush head gently over your teeth (in the aforementioned circular motion), letting the sonic vibrations perform the work of cleaning and polishing your teeth. Although these vibrations are fairly gentle, switching to the sensitive mode reduces the strength of the vibration by about 1/3. The vibration speed remains the same, but the intensity becomes gentler and feels less abrasive against your teeth. While brushing, the Pulsonic toothbrush provides a short stutter (a single break in vibration), at 30-second intervals, to let you know that you are supposed to switch quadrants in your mouth. Once you have brushed for the professionally recommended 2-minutes, a longer stutter (two breaks in vibration) can be heard and felt. This form of tactile feedback is quite effective in keeping the user informed as to the status of their brushing session.

Once you have finished brushing with the Pulsonic toothbrush, cleanup is a snap. You simply run the brush head under water and rinse thoroughly. To better clean the top portion of the toothbrush handle, you can easily remove the brush head attachment by turning the head counter-clockwise (about 1/4 turn) and lifting it off the handle. The top portion of the handle can be rinsed under running water, but it is not recommended to run water over the lower, controller portion of the handle. Reinstalling the brush head onto the handle is as simple as lowering it into place and giving about a 1/4 clockwise turn. You will hear and feel it click into place. Cleaning the charging base is just as easy. Since you should never get the electrical portion of the charger base wet, Oral-B has designed the base with a removable top, which can then be cleaned under running water. To remove the top you push down on a plastic tab, located at the rear of the base, and slide the top portion forward and lift off. After cleaning the removable portion, you can wipe the bottom portion of the base with a dry cloth. To reinstall the top portion, you sit it on the bottom portion and slide it back until you feel it click into place. The included instruction manual goes over these steps in better detail, providing visual illustrations. However, everything about the setup, use, and cleanup of the Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush is very simple and straightforward, so I doubt one would need to refer to the instruction manual more than once.

Although I prefer the Oscillating brush head of my Oral-B Triumph power toothbrush, my wife much prefers this new Oral-B Pulsonic toothbrush. She has been using it regularly and has given me the following pros and cons for this Pulsonic model:

Pros
******
- Extremely slim and lightweight.
- Comfortable to hold and is well balanced
- Very quiet operation
- Medium-soft bristles are gentle on teeth & gums
- Sensitive Mode is much gentler on touchy teeth & gums
- Easy to use and clean
- Perfect size for travel
- Precision Tip brush head is handy for cleaning between teeth and around dental work
- Charging base takes up very little space on the countertop

Cons
*******
- Charging base slides around countertop too easily
- No low battery warning indicator
- No indication of when charging is complete
- Spare brush storage is not covered
- No travel/storage case included

My wife really loves the new Oral-B Pulsonic power toothbrush. She has stayed away from power toothbrushes in the past because she didn't like the fat handles, noisy operation, and uncomfortable brush heads. Other than the few cons listed above, she feels that the Pulsonic toothbrush is perfect in every other way. She doesn't like leaving the brush heads exposed, so she keeps the spares in a drawer, due to the lack of covered brush storage on the base. She also wishes that the charging base was weighted, so that it wouldn't slide around on the counter so easily. She informed me that she wants the base mounted to the wall so she doesn't have to continue dealing with it sliding around.

Overall we are quite pleased with the Pulsonic Power Toothbrush by Oral-B. It is definitely a breakthrough in power toothbrush design and it is very easy and convenient to use. After using this new toothbrush for a couple of weeks, my wife's teeth are already noticeably brighter, so we definitely believe Oral-B's claim that this brush removes stains and polishes teeth for a brighter smile. I was very tempted to give this Pulsonic toothbrush a 5-star rating, but I honestly feel that Oral-B has overlooked a few important details that will hopefully be corrected on future model releases. First of all, they need to provide covered storage for the spare brushes. Most people have their toothbrushes in the bathroom, and I don't think anyone would want their brush heads uncovered and fully exposed in that environment. The charging base either needs to be weighted or should have better griping foot pads to prevent it from sliding all over the place. And why they don't have a low battery indicator on this toothbrush is anyone's guess. Nearly every rechargeable electronic device provides indication of when it requires charging. Finally, the inclusion of a travel/storage case would really make sense. Oral-B included a travel case for my Triumph power toothbrush, which is huge compared to this new Pulsonic model. Since the Pulsonic is the perfect size for travel, including a travel case would make perfect sense. Hopefully they will at least offer a Pulsonic travel case, as an optional accessory, in the near future. My wife and I consider the Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush a 4 and 1/2 star product, and we highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a powered brush but doesn't want the typical fat-handled, noisy products that have always been the norm.

It seems other people have had the same problem with the brush head popping off while brushing too. Wish I had read more reviews before buying two! This happened to me and my husband when he tried his...it is really easy to twist ever so slightly while brushing which pops head off. It is not a secure locking head like Sonicare which is frustrating when you are changing angles to brush and find you have to stop and put the head back on. Also, while the handle is very sleek the brush head is not at all. It feels very thick and bulky in the mouth compared to the Sonicare which makes it harder to use properly to reach all areas of teeth. Third issue is minor but to turn off unit you have to hit off twice to cycle pass the sensitive mode to the off mode. Returning two of these and will probably go back to Sonicare for next purchase.

I bought this on sale to replace my old A-series Sonicare, which works fine but is looking a bit tired. What a disappointment! Shoddy construction -- the brush part twists off so easily that it came off twice while I was using it, and it vibrates your hand more than in your mouth. It also lacks a brush cover, something I was used to with the Sonicare. Seems more sanitary to cover the bristles of a toothbrush that lives in the bathroom, right?

I am returning the Pulsonic tomorrow. I may just keep my old faithful Sonicare, which may be homely but has worked great for about 7 years.

I purchased this brush from Target 2 days ago and while I am brushing my teeth the brush head keeps coming off. I then read the reviews here and see that a lot of people have this same problem. I called Oral-B support and they are not aware of any such problem but offered to send me a new brush head in the mail. It would take 2 to 3 weeks to get to me. I am taking this toothbrush back and never buying an oral-b brush again.

Before I received the Oral-B Pulsonic toothbrush I was using the conventional, bulky, sonic toothbrush (Philips Sonicare). Comparing the Pulsonic to the conventional sonic toothbrushes, the first thing to be noticed is the size. The Pulsonic is about the same size as a manual toothbrush, which is much smaller than all electronic toothbrushes currently on the market. This can easily be seen from the packaging before you even take the product home (the packaging by the way was uncluttered, easy to open and very visually appealing). The smaller size of the toothbrush is not merely an aesthetic benefit either. After having dealt with my old sonic toothbrush for so long I look at it now and wonder how I ever thought that it was normal to use something the size of a flashlight to brush my teeth. The Pulsonic was much easier to handle while brushing and yes, it does look much nicer in your bathroom (even the charger is not the usual eyesore).

Now to the nitty gritty, what does the Pulsonic sacrifice to achieve this chic new compact design? Nothing, except unwanted complexities. The sonic action of the Pulsonic is not diminished at all by the smaller size (for those who aren't familiar with general benefits of sonic brushing, do a google search for animated teeth.). The battery life of the Pulsonic is long enough that I can leave it out of the charger for more than a week and still be able to brush twice a day. There is only one button on the brush, push once to turn on strong cleaning, once more for a gentler setting and a third time to turn off. This takes the place of the usual multi-button brush with a variety of settings, only one of which you actually wind up using.

The Pulsonic comes with one standard brush head and one precision head that has a brush area about the size of a toothpick and stiffer bristles. The precision head is good for floss-like cleaning and it makes me glad to have the gentler setting on the unit. There is also a timer feature built into the Pulsonic that gives a short lag in the brushing action every 30 seconds for the recommended two minutes of brushing. This is designed to help you spend the right amount of time in the four quadrants of your mouth, and has always seemed silly to me, but after using it for a while I am following the routine without even thinking. The charger, as I already mentioned, is small but sturdy and while it lacks a snapping mechanism to hold the brush in place while it charges, the Pulsonic sits very securely in its charging cradle and comes away from the charger without sticking (a problem I had with my old brush). All the surfaces of the brush are smooth and easy to clean and to stress the point again, it looks very "natural," and not at all clunky, sitting on my counter.

Overall, the brush does everything a sonic brush should, none of the things I think it shouldn't and it takes up less space and looks great. The price is at the lower end of the sonic brush range (counterintuitive to a newly introduced, more compact design) and the replacement brush heads come in a three pack that makes them more affordable as well. If you're looking for your first sonic brush, or an upgrade from your old one, I cannot think of a reason not to pick the Pulsonic from Oral-B.

Length:: 2:42 Mins

I own the Oral B S-320 Sonic Complete Rechargeable Power Toothbrush and was excited to try this toothbrush as well. Unfortunately, the quality of the brush head on the this one, the Oral B Pulsonic falls short compared to the Oral B (same brand!) Sonic Complete. Although my teeth did get really clean with little irritation, the brush head just felt too small and also did not make contact with my gums as well as the Sonic Complete. If the brush head was more like the Sonic Complete, I might have found the two toothbrushes comparable. The brush heads between the two toothbrushes are not interchangeable.

I also found that I preferred the toothbrush on the sensitive setting, but for better whitening, others might find they like it on full power. The weight of the two toothbrushes was quite different as well. The Oral B Sonic Complete (without the charging station) weighs 150 grams, while the Oral B Pulsonic weighed in at 50 grams. Those with arthritis, people who are looking for a travel electric toothbrush, or if you need to buy several for your family might prefer the price, weight, and size of this one.

This product is Oral-B's answer to the Sonicare, as both of them clean teeth using ultrasonics (tiny vibrations) instead of a more standard rotating head. Kind of like the old vibrating toothbrushes from long ago, except the power behind this is far greater, and much more effective.

Sonicare had the benefit of being first with this type of brush, but Oral-B has an advantage in that they can study the other product and make improvements on it. I'd say the major difference is that the Oral-B is thinner, lighter, and therefore easier to hold and maneuver around the mouth. The replacement brushes are also less expensive on this model, which is important as they can really add up if you replace them as recommended by the manufacturer, every three months or so.

I was pleased to see that toothpaste can be used with it, although if you use too much you'll be foaming at the mouth from the ultrasonics. It is still pretty foamy, so I recommend staying close to the sink.

The recharging base is small, attractive, and wall-mountable. The power cord plugs into a wall outlet and doesn't use a transformer, so it won't take up additional outlets. It will hold two spare brush heads behind the toothbrush, and allows the toothbrush to be dropped in facing any direction. So, when you are done it is an easy matter to drop the toothbrush back onto its base.

It actually worked quite a bit better than I expected. The head is fairly small, so it is easy to move around your mouth to clean each tooth. The timer lets you know if you are rushing the job (I usually am, but at least now I can't pretend I don't know that!). The massage mode for the brush seems like a feature that I'll never use, but people with tender gums that are working their way up to the full speed might like it. I use mine on clean mode all the time and it works well. It is somewhat annoying that both modes are accessible through the single button given that I never use the lower-speed. It isn't so annoying that it is a deal-breaker, just something to be aware of.

I was happy with the noise level, too. Nothing bugs me more than holding something that sounds like a buzz saw so close to my ear in the morning. Mercifully, this brush is pretty quiet, as these things go. It is louder than a manual brush, of course, but quieter than an electric shaver. The pitch is a little high, but nothing I can't live with.

Overall, I like it and would get it again. Recommended.

Sean P. Logue, 2008