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91 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic product for kids, July 27, 2009
This review is from: Philips Sonicare for Kids HX6311/02 Rechargeable Toothbrush (Health and Beauty)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have been using Philips Sonicare toothbrushes for years and years. I've owned several as I've worn them out over the years and as they have improved the design. I was excited to see that they have a model specifically for kids and wondered what the differences might be.
The toothbrush is almost the same as the Sonicare I currently own for myself. The similarities are:
1.) Different power levels for different users (in the case of the kids' brush one setting for ages 4-7 and one for ages 7-10.
2.) Quadrapace timer- the children's version has a musical tone every 30 seconds to let your child know to move to the next quadrant of her mouth.
3.) Ramped up power and time- the feeling of a Sonicare is a little off-putting to some people at first as it can cause a kind of tingling in the mouth from the rapid vibrations. The power (in both modes) and the time (in the low power mode) are ramped up over the first several uses to allow people to get used to it. It starts off with lower power and for little kids, a shorter overall brushing time.
4.) Different size heads- the head is actually interchangeable with the regular Sonicare brush that I have. The shape at the base is just slightly different. I was worried about finding heads for the kids' brush. But, if I can't, I'll just buy a regular head for her when this one wears out. The heads come in two sizes. But, I found the larger one is pretty much exactly like my normal Sonicare head. The bristles seem to be about the same stiffness and the shape of the bristles and the head is just about the same.
The differences are:
1.) Cute kids colors and interchangeable face plate. Read the directions. The face plate has a protective back that should be removed so it doesn't keep falling off. It'll come with one face plate on it. But, you can change it.
2.) Charger is a two piece device- I don't like this. My Sonicare came with a travel charge in addition to the regular charger. This kids version seems to have used a travel charger (which doesn't have a place to store the extra heads) and they just made a piece to fit over it. The problem is it doesn't snap together. So, it's just kind of tacky and unstable.
3.) Instead of just pausing between quadrants, the kids version of the brush actually plays a musical tone.
My 9 year old squealed with glee when she saw the toothbrush. She couldn't wait to use it. She even asked if she could brush three times a day instead of two. I worked with her the first couple of times she used it, as you will have to with your kids. The timer is great because we have bought timers for she and her older sister before to get them to brush for two minutes with their manual brushes. But, they don't use the timer consistently and two minutes is a long time for a child (especially if they're thinking about doing something else). The other thing you'll have to work with your child on is not using this like a regular toothbrush. Children tend to brush too hard anyway and we have been working with both our children about not scrubbing their teeth. With the Sonicare, you just place the brush against the teeth and move it from section to section. It took a while for her to get this concept as she kept wanting to use a back and forth motion. She laughed saying the brush "tickled". But, the sensation was not uncomfortable for her.
Overall, I give the brush a very good rating. There are only a couple of things I don't like about it. The charger could be better constructed. In addition to being two parts, the spare head doesn't fit on the post very well and tends to pop off. Another thing that could concern me with a younger child is the way you change the power setting from the lower level (for 4-7) to the higher level is a simple button that is easily accessible to children. Curious children may push the button and end up brushing their teeth with either too much power or too little power. I honestly don't find this brush to be significantly different than the Sonicare I already own, which is a good thing. This is not a water-down version of a Sonicare. I was wondering what features it might be missing. It's got all of their advanced features in terms of the guts of the brush (I have the one with the Ultraviolet cleaner). The novelty of it and the built-in timer will get kids excited about brushing and make sure they brush thoroughly. I highly recommend it.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Son-In-Law, The Dentist, Likes This!, July 16, 2009
This review is from: Philips Sonicare for Kids HX6311/02 Rechargeable Toothbrush (Health and Beauty)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is probably the first time I'm able to post an early review for a "Vine" Product, and I feel priveliged to do so!
My (step) son-in-law, a dentist, gets to "preview" items like this, and already has his three children using it. (Ages: 10, 8, 6.) So I KNOW this is a great item. (Hey, Dentist endorsed :>)
He used to manually brush their teeth for them, (just to be sure they were brushing correctly), but switched them to these electronic models (via professional samples) since he believes they do a more thorough job, and the kids really enjoy using them. Because of the unique handle design, he was still able to "guide" their brushing until they got the hang of it (which didn't take long, even for the youngest), and until he was sure they were using the device as it's meant to be used.
The power-modes on the brush (I've listened and watched) are SOMEWHAT quieter than models like this meant for adults (I use a Phillips Sonicare ProResults--love it, but it's LOUD), so there's no "scary" drill-like sound, AND, the scrub-factor is more gentle than on adult models.
It's colorful (the handle), it does a good job, and it trains kids to brush for the recommended 2 minutes (there's a timer on it).
I removed one star from this review, because, in my observations, it seems the handle isn't MUCH smaller than adult size models, and the littlest grandkid just made it, when it came to holding the handle. Another reason for the removal of one star: this isn't something you can just hand the kids and say "brush your teeth." They'll need some instruction, and maybe even help with their first couple of uses.
Still, the above are small issues, because overall, this product does what it says, and what it should, which is: providing young kids with good, proper, and effective brushing.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a great toothbrush, July 25, 2009
This review is from: Philips Sonicare for Kids HX6311/02 Rechargeable Toothbrush (Health and Beauty)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
We have been using the Sonicare brushes for years.... update when new models come out. My dentist suggested it many years ago and it has really helped. Partly because you are 'forced' to brush for two minutes.
The kids brush takes this wonderful brush down to the kids level. The sound emitted during the brush is nowhere as loud as it is on the adult brush so that helps. The ramp up speed is great for them to get used to this new way of brushing. And the idea of knowing when to switch to another side of your teeth and when it is over is so helpful.
The only complaint is the size of the handle....a little bit of getting the hang of it for a 4 year old.
Nonetheless, it does an excellent job. Bravo Sonicare. It's the talk of the household.
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