Customer Reviews

Philips Sonicare HX6972/10 FlexCare Plus Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

5 star:		(384)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

The differences between this model and the "older" Flexcare are minimal, that is probably why all they did is add a + to the end of the name. But there are a few differences between the two.

1. Most notably is the "new" look. It has a cleaner appearance with most of the front being a dark chrome look, also instead of the green led's, it has a backlight behind the selected brushing mode.
2. Gone are the 'Go Care' and 'Max Care' and in their place are 'Gum Care' and 'Refresh' mode. They do exactly what the other one did except for one important change on the 'Gum Care' mode which replaced 'Max Care (which is why I picked the new one over the old) '. Instead of having a 3 minute routine with 45 seconds each quad (30 normal + 15 massage) for a total of 3 min; they now have it where it goes 30 seconds each quad with an added 1 minute at the end for 'problem areas' which is broken down into four 15 second intervals.
3. 'Different' color, looks very similar - its 'Soft Sky Blue' instead of 'Medical Blue'. Basically bluer color than the old one which was more of a green color.
4. Supposedly lasts longer - 42 2-minute brushings, vs. 20 2-minute brushings of the old one
5. Case is now hard plastic instead of the soft case that comes with the old model

There is also a few changes in what the battery display shows with its charge but I'm not going to go into it that far with this review. I decided to upgrade from the Sonicare Elite as I was getting tired of seeing the nasty gunk that would grow inside of the handle. It was time to get a new brush head so I decided to go ahead and get a new brush while I was looking around. Overall I think it has been a good decision as this brush shouldn't need the constant cleaning of the old one and I like the new 'Gum Care' routine. So if wanted to know the differences, there you go, you probably now know more than you wanted about a toothbrush. If your like me and wanted to know at least some of this, it should help you decide between the two. I hope this helps you out.

UPDATE 10/2011 - After more than 1.75 years the head of the brush was starting to make loud noises and had become "loosened" from the pressure of brushing. Luckily it comes with a 2 year warranty. I called them up and was sent a replacement brush immediately, excellent customer service! The brush I received is perfect and I have been using it since. Great product with great customer service to back it up!

BACKGROUND: I have been using the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush (see my previous review for a detailed write up) for about a year and a half before getting the FlexCare Plus with the UV Sanitizer. For this review, I will highlight the differences between the two models as well as comment on the UV Sanitizer, and I will conclude with an overall recommendation between the two.

SETUP: Much like previous units, this is a breeze. Simply plug in the base sanitizer/charging unit combo and place the base handle on the peg to begin charging. The instructions recommend charging 24 hours prior to the first use, but I doubt this is necessary given that the brush will only be used minutes a day and likely be able to charge 23 hours minimum every day that you use it.

For multiple users, Philips again includes the standard colored rings to distinguish one brush head from another. For this unit, Philips includes both a standard and a compact brush head. These compare well with manual toothbrushes so it's a matter of preference. However, some will find it nice to try out both sizes before ordering new brush heads.

USAGE: The basic operation of the FlexCare Plus is the same as the previous model. It uses the same Quadpacer signal in thirty second intervals over two minutes in the "Clean" mode. It seemed to me that this unit pulses a little faster, yet it is also quieter while running. You can still discern the signal when it is time to change "zones" on your teeth.

Philips did a nice job of simplifying the mode selection over the previous FlexCare model. There are five modes to choose from: Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive, and Massage. This is much more user friendly than the previous model's Clean, Sensitive, and Massage modes paired with the separate routines of Go Care and Max Care. I stick to the Clean mode for the most part, but the Refresh is a nice one minute version of Clean if you doing a simple between brushing touch up.

As for the UV Sanitizer, I am not able to do a scientific test of whether or not it provides added benefit. I did some research that suggests that UV Sanitizers are effective, but that is taking someone else's word for it. What I can say is that it does operate as the instructions indicate. Once you remove the brush head and insert it into the peg stand and close the door, pressing the power button once starts a 10 minute cycle that shuts off automatically. The blue light is fairly bright and much larger than the green battery indicator on the main brushing unit. If you use this right before bed, you will probably want to close your bathroom door to avoid having the nice blue glow in your bedroom. I did find that after the 10 minute cycle was complete, the brush head was dry as far as I could tell. This is important since the sanitizer becomes a closed container, and excess water could cause mold/mildew. In the end I can't offer any negatives on the UV Sanitizer which is good because (as of this writing) the only FlexCare Plus model you can by is this one. There is currently no standalone model.

Battery life is rated for 42 two minute brushings, but I don't think most people will ever put this to the test. An individual would have to be away from home for three solid weeks and not take their travel charger to drain the battery.

ACCESSORIES: One of the things I criticized on my older FlexCare brush was the soft travel case. Philips stepped up on the FlexCare Plus and added a hard plastic case that holds the base unit and two brush heads. They also include a travel charger, which is nice, but you would only need this for an extended trip away from home with the increased battery life.

DRAWBACKS: There really aren't any. Some may find the price steep, but you do get what you pay for. Perhaps offering a unit without the UV Sanitizer could lower the price some, but I wouldn't expect a large difference.

CONCLUSION: Philips has done what all manufacturers should strive to do in the next generation of a product. They kept what worked and made improvements in the shortcomings of the prior version. After having used a Sonicare FlexCare brush for over a year and a half, I highly recommend this model to anyone looking for a new power toothbrush. If you have the older FlexCare model, I would wait until it is time to replace your old one before upgrading as the differences, while improvements, are not substantial.

This is a GREAT investment in your dental hygiene. I have had this for only a few days and it knocks the pants off of my old Sonicare Elite that I have had for almost 5 years. New Flexcares are the way to go in my opinion. The look and feel of this tooth brush is very high tech and sleek. In comparing the Elite model with the Flexcare plus I have noticed a tremendous amount of improvements. The first is the Procare brush heads that come with this toothbrush. They are slightly more course (which I like) than the original brush heads that I bought for my Elite. They also have a blue strip on them which diminishes in time to signal when you need to replace the brush head. It just feels like my teeth are cleaner than when I used the Elite. Also the 5 modes of cleaning you can choose from compared to only one with my Elite. The quadpacer feature is pretty nice. It is basically a small and short beep every 30 seconds to signal you when you should switch brushing from one quadrant of your teeth to another. And the last thing that leapt out at me was the UV sanitizer built in to the charger. After 5 years with one model, I was growing paranoid about the cleanliness even though you change up brush heads. Some added accessories come in very handy if you travel a lot. A miniature travel case with an extra brush head and a miniature charger come with this purchase. I highly recommend this item to anybody.

This model (HX6950) is currently the ultimate rechargeable toothbrush that dental offices seem to recommend (or at least have coupons for). I've noticed less plaque build-up and healthier gums ever since I started using the older model (HX6930) a few years ago. So the question is, if you already have a Philips Sonicare Flexcare, do you need this new model?

UV SANITIZER
============
I love the comfort of knowing that the germs on my toothbrush have been killed off. The UV sanitizer does a quick and effective job of that. Just insert up to 2 toothbrush heads and press the button. Not all Sonicare toothbrushes have a UV sanitizer, so this would be the main reason for me to upgrade.

From the Sonicare website, the UV bulb lasts about 1800 hours (about 2 years) and can be replaced from their webstore. The recommended frequency of using the UV sanitizer is once a day.

DIFFERENCES with older HX6930 MODEL
===================================
I bought the older Sonicare Flexcare HX6930 from Amazon a few years ago. Since then, Philips has made some slight improvements. These improvements seem to be cosmetic only.

I've noticed that the UV sanitizer door now magnetically closes.

The names of the toothbrush modes are changed but seem to have the same functions as the earlier model.

- Clean (The basic 2 minute clean)
- Sensitive (The adjustment for sensitive teeth)
- Massage (The gum massage mode)
- Refresh (The 1 minute clean. This is re-named from "Go Care")
- Gum Care (The 2 minute clean plus 1 minute gum cleaning. This is re-named from "Max Care")

GRIPE
=======
I love this toothbrush, but my complaint about the mold build-up in the earlier model persists to this model. It's very easy for water to be trapped under the UV sanitizer door which leads to mold growing in there. You'll need to periodically remove the plastic caddy inside the sanitizer and clean it to prevent build-up.

You'll also need to wipe off any water on the toothbrush before placing it back on the induction recharger. It rests flat on the charging area without any grooves to drain water. So trapped water *inside* the bottom of the toothbrush will give your toothbrush a really funky odor.

EXTRAS
======
Includes a convenient travel case and travel charger. (If you give it a full charge, your toothbrush should last more than a week, so you may not need to pack the travel charger).

TIP
====
Register your toothbrush via the registration card for $30 in coupons from Philips to use on Sonicare replacement heads.

I am thoroughly impressed with the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus. I was somewhat skeptical about what to expect from a teeth cleaning system promising such great things, and the price also caused me some hesitation. On the whole, however, this toothbrush delivers as advertised.

MODES: There is no shortage of brushing options here. The Sonicare has five modes: Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive and Massage. After reading the directions and making several trials with each one, I still can't quite figure out why Refresh is on here. There appears to be no distinction between Clean and Refresh, and the directions only indicate that the Clean mode is designed for a two minute brush, while the Refresh is designed for a one minute brush. The difference is also subtle between Clean/Refresh and Gum Care. Nothing wrong with having too many modes per se, but it almost seemed like Philips just wanted another selling point by offering five modes.

The other Sensitive and Massage modes, however, demonstrated their unique value. Notably, the Sensitive option offered a much gentler brushing, and the Massage option was a nice change of pace along the gum line.

As a side note when using any of the modes, and you will probably learn this within five seconds of your first use, make sure the toothbrush is in your mouth before turning it on. As I found out, a brush this powerful can and will spray toothpaste everywhere.

PERFORMANCE: There is no denying that my teeth feel cleaner after each use of this toothbrush. The Sonicare does all the work, so there is no actual "brushing" involved on your end. The brush head is designed well. It gets into all the crevices and does a great job between the teeth and on the gums.

I discovered one interesting thing upon reading the directions. The Sonicare comes defaulted to setting called Easy-start. Basically, this feature starts you off with a gentler brushing experience for your first use, and the power gradually builds throughout the first week (i.e., 14 brushings). The directions say this feature is there for you "to ease into the Sonicare experience." If you don't feel the need to ease into a toothbrush, don't worry, there's a way to turn off Easy-start. Further, I could not detect any difference in intensity during my first 14 brushings, but this may be the point of the feature.

Also, I noticed that while brushing, the Sonicare sometimes stopped its buzzing for brief moment. After looking this up in the manual, I learned that this is the toothbrush's way of letting you know it's time to move to a new part of your mouth (e.g., after 30 seconds it's time to go from the front of the lower teeth to the back of the lower teeth).

DESIGN: The handle of the toothbrush has a nice grip. The brush head is small, but I find this a good thing, because anything bigger would be a nuisance once it started buzzing in your mouth. The front of the handle will highlight which mode you are in, and it is very easy to tell which mode is highlighted. You can only switch modes when the Sonicare is turned off.

UV SANITIZER: The UV sanitizer takes 10 minutes, if that. The brush head fits right inside the compartment on a small peg, and the door shuts firmly even though there's no latch. You push a button to start the cleaning process, and the UV light will turn off automatically. Also, if you open the door at any time during the cleaning, the UV light will immediately shut off (tried it). This is a safety feature. The brush head will come out slightly warm, but only slightly. I like this feature. I can't imagine what a hotbed of germs a toothbrush is, and the UV light kills 99% of bacteria and viruses.

CHARGERS: It takes 24 hours to give this product a full charge, but once it's charged, you won't need to do it again for a long while. I've heard this from other reviewers, and I can tell you from my own experience that after a week of use, I still have full bars (3 of 3) showing on the display. The device comes with a travel charger as well, but you may just want to leave it in the drawer if you're only going out of town for a week or so. You can also leave the toothbrush in the charger after each use, and once the device is fully charged, it is designed to draw only minimal power from the outlet.

The base of the charger also has a way for you to wrap the power cord under the device. This just allows you to shorten the amount of cord you have exposed to view. I first found this annoying because it's not that easy to fit the cord into the grooves in the bottom of the charger. Once done, however, it was nice to get the excess cord out of the way so it wasn't bunched up on the counter top.

BOTTOM LINE: I know this product is expensive, and I know there may be more bells and whistles than you're looking for on a toothbrush, but I think it's worth it. Dental health is important, and we too often take it for granted.

This is my third Sonicare toothbrush. I've owned the Elite and Intelliclean and other brands of sonic toothbrushes and I must say, the Flexcare Plus is the best one yet.

Out of the box, I see that the handle is slimmer than the others, sleeker and much more attractive; and the cleaning modes are displayed on the handle. It's easy to switch modes and there's no need to guess which mode the unit is in.

It is easy to clean. Not all Sonicare brushes are. Some sport messy toothpaste dispensers (Intelliclean) or difficult to reach pit (Elite).

The only problem I encounter is the brush head must fit on the handle in a certain direction -- you have to fit it on a rod, which is flat on one side. The Elite screws on, which is easy for the kids. This one takes a little more precision, which isn't difficult, but maybe not something for younger kids, those with poor eyesight or shaky hands.

***ACCESSORIES***

Oh my. So many accessories.

FOUR COLORED RINGS, to distinguish the toothbrush heads -- choose one for you and one for your spouse.

TWO BRUSH HEADS with sanitary covers.

A NICE, HARD PLASTIC TRAVEL CASE which holds the handle and two brush heads -- the most attractive I've seen with the Sonicare toothbrushes.

TWO CHARGERS: a small travel charger and a full size charger that is attached to a UV sanitizer. My other Sonicare brushes did not come with extra travel chargers.

***CLEANING MODES***

Flexcare has Quadpacer technology, which means it beeps every 30 seconds to remind us to move to another quadrant. That feature may be disabled, but I find it most useful. Intellicare includes Quadpacer technology. I believe some Elite models have Quadpacer, but mine did not.

There are four different cleaning modes included. Intellicare has two modes and Elite has one.

CLEANING mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning.

GUM CARE mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning plus 1 additional minute to concentrate on the gums (Quadpacer beeps every 15 seconds for the gum care minute). The gum cleaning is more gentle. This is my preferred mode.

REFRESH mode: 1 minute.

SENSITIVE mode: 2 minutes. More gentle cleaning.

MASSAGE mode: 2 minutes. I can feel larger, slower circular vibrations than in any other mode. Feels like a back massage in the mouth.

***UV SANITIZER***

The UV sanitizer can sanitize two brush heads at the same time. Turn it on and it sanitizes for 10 minutes then automatically turns off. I thought maybe my toothbrush would be all wet inside, but it dries out my toothbrush for me. This the only Sonicare toothbrush I've owned with a UV cleaning feature and I think it's a wonderful addition.

PROS:
+ comes with two brush heads and colored rings
+ nice travel case (best I've seen for Sonicare)
+ comes with small travel charger in addition to standard charger
+ standard charger has a UV sanitizer for two brush heads
+ Quadpacer technology to pace your cleaning
+ four separate modes -- easy to read and set
+ slimmer, sleek handle

CONS:
- doesn't dispense toothpaste (Intelliclean does, but I honestly didn't care for that feature. It's really not a con for me, but perhaps it is for some people.)
- brush head isn't easy for young children or those with disabilities to attach

***SUMMARY***

Sonicare cleans teeth so much better than regular brushing alone. My dentist and my children's dentists always marvel at how clean our teeth are. It's really the toothbrush, because when we don't use Sonicare, the dentists notice. The question is which Sonicare to choose.

For young kids, I'd go with the Elite. It's easier for them to change brush heads, and it's simpler and less expensive. They don't understand the concept of the Quadpacer technology (at least my kids didn't); and rather than using the appropriate mode, they just play with it.

For adults, Flexcare Plus is the way to go. Sleek, easy to clean, a variety of modes, UV sanitizer -- it is my favorite sonic toothbrush of all time.

Dentist told me few years ago this was the best way to protect your teeth and gums. Didn't get around to buying. Dentist was so right that this is light years ahead of normal tooth brushing for cleaning teeth and keeping gums healthy. Fact that it has a method for completely sterilizing brushes made me take the jump to buy. Insructions easy; the pause system that tells u when u have spent enough time on a section of your teeth makes this so user friendly. Lasts long time between charging--nearly a month. Be prepared for irst time use---it will tickle like crazy. Switch it to "sensitive" for a few brushings and by 2nd brushing I had no tickling sensation. You immediately adjust. Moved from sensitive to normal seeting within a week. If a family---you'll need more than one power wand, since if one of you is traveling, who gets custody of the Sonicare becomes an issue! After I bought this, saw some sets come with multiple wands.

I have been using the predecessor Philips Sonicare FlexCare for 16 months (and this brush for a week) and love the brush and the company. When I had trouble with my older brush this summer, I easily reached a company rep on the phone and they promptly sent me a replacement (registering the brush made it easier).

I work at a dental school and Sonicare is the brush we use and recommend. Of the Sonicare options, the FlexCare Plus offers the most features.

Although one is capable of cleaning their teeth just as well with a manual toothbrush, people are less likely to brush for the recommended two minutes when using a manual toothbrush. Furthermore, the hand motions required with manual brushing are painful and aggravating for people with carpel tunnel or arthritis. This brush also has an automatic shutoff after two minutes so you don't have to time yourself.

If you are not used to using an electric toothbrush, this brush will gradually increase the intensity as your gums get used to the extra stimulation. You can also manually change speeds and vibrations but this is a questionable blessing as you may be prone to accidentally push these buttons while brushing.

I recognize that a number of reviewers have commented that sanitizers are unnecessary. Here's my take on the subject.

Your toothbrush can harbor a variety of germs capable of causing illness and even reinfection with the same disease (see dentalresource dot org slash topics25 dot htm). Your risk is increased if your brush is kept near your toilet or if your home has roaches.

The American Dental Association says "data do not demonstrate that they (sanitizers) provide a specific health benefit" but they do recommend ways to keep your toothbrush germ free and a sanitizer will help.

I surveyed the head of dental hygiene and five dental professors, including one charged with monitoring the school's sterile environment. All of them agreed that a sterilizer was unnecessary for home use but half of them used one anyway.

At the least, putting the brush head in the sterilizer is easier than using boiling water or bleach water. While it is inexpensive to replace a manual toothbrush every couple of weeks, we tend to keep the $13 electric heads for a couple of months, putting them at greater risk of harboring an infection.

Ultimately, the cost and convenience of a sanitizer make it a reasonable addition to good oral hygiene regime.

This is the best looking Sonicare to date, with 'improvements' over previous models.

Having owned the previous model of this toothbrush, heres the dirt: It has one additional setting, slightly better looks, a hard case, and bristles that fade with use. (I dont think my last one had that.)Personally I never use more than one or two settings, and I can tell when I need to change my bristles, and well good looks never hurt!

The hard case is easily the only useful improvement (for me). And its a sorta of a bittersweet improvement. These toothbrushes are fragile around the neck. One drop onto hard tile, too much pressure applied the wrong way in your luggage and bam. I've lost two, one in each of those ways, but I keep replacing them, so take that for whatever its worth. Also I cant figure out how to fit the charger into the hard case but there must be a way. But at the same time I wish they found a way to make the design more robust.

+good looks... for a toothbrush
+multiple settings that, while I imagine most people wont switch between, allows you to fine tune it to your mouths sensitivity
+superior cleaning to a manual toothbrush
+smallish head fits everywhere in your mouth!
+UV cleaner to kill bacteria
+bristles fade when it needs to be changed

= included hard case for travel.. to compensate for weak point in the neck

-same fragile neck as previous flexcares (when someone in my office saw me get it, he commented his last one broke from falling in the bathroom too)
-large base, if bathroom counter space is at a premium, you will end up ditching the uv base and using the smaller travel base, negating one of the best features

If you want a toothbrush that really gets your teeth squeaky clean a Philips Sonicare is the toothbrush for you. My first Sonicare toothbrush was a more basic model, the Philips Sonicare R710 HealthyWhite Power Toothbrush and it did an excellent job. This one is a lot fancier and has a great "high tech" look with the UV Brush Head Sanitizer that lights up with a spacey blue color when it's being used. The brush handle itself also lights up showing the different settings such as Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive and Massage. Each is a little different speed although some are so close it's difficult to feel a lot of difference with the toothbrush in your mouth. The only thing that I wish was different is that you have to turn the toothbrush off to change the settings. It would have been nice to be able to change while the brush was running.

As far as cleaning your teeth, you just can't beat a Sonicare. I've had Braun and Oral-B toothbrushes in the past and they just don't come close to the Sonicare in the way they clean my teeth. You know that feeling after you come out of the dentist's office for a cleaning where your teeth have that polished, smooth feeling when you run your tongue over them? Even after the first time using this one my teeth felt that way. Another nice thing was that my gums don't bleed when I use this toothbrush. For as long as I can remember my gums have bled after brushing my teeth, even when brushing by hand. I thought with the way this brush moves so fast that it would cause bleeding too but for some reason it doesn't.

This toothbrush comes with 2 ProResults brush heads, the UV Brush Head Sanitizer, 1 travel charger, 2 hygienic travel caps, and 1 hard travel case. I've never taken an electric toothbrush along when I traveled before, I just used the old basic hand toothbrush, but I've become so spoiled and the travel charger takes up so little room that I take this one along. The replacement brushes aren't cheap, but the way this toothbrush cleans my teeth makes them worth the price.

I was able to try this toothbrush through the Amazon Vine program or I probably would have gone on using my Philips Sonicare R710 HealthyWhite Power model. (Which another family member was happy to get.) It works just fine and does just as good a job of cleaning my teeth. But this one is really attractive and I love having all the different settings and choices of speeds. The UV cleaner is a nice touch. With the previous model I had to soak the brushes in hydrogen peroxide to sanitize them. And if you're into aesthetics, this one looks really nice on the bathroom counter. Two thumbs up for Sonicare!