Customer Reviews

Philips Sonicare Elite 7500 Power Toothbrush

5 star:		(148)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Three years ago, I threw away my Oral B for a Sonicare, and I thought the Sonicare was far and away better than my Oral B. The one dislike, however, was the relatively large head design, which made it a little difficult to reach the rear teeth. About two weeks ago, I got a mailer from the people at Sonicare, announcing their "new and improved" Sonicare Elite model. The ad said the new head design was angled, and featured a new design that clinical tests showed improved cleaning by about 20 percent over the older model. So, I bought it; literally. And after the first use, there is little doubt that the new Sonicare Elite is everything it's said to be. The new angled head and brush design make reaching every tooth easy. And the powerful sonic brush strokes leave your teeth feeling like you've just had a cleaning at the dentists office. This is one amazing toothbrush! Honestly, I don't know why my dentist recommends Sonicare so highly, because the better oral health it provides obviously is cutting into his business. The price is a little high for the 7500 model. The lower model is really a better value, since it includes all the functional features of the 7500. This is just a truly amazing power toothbrush!

I love the Sonicare toothbrush. I like the way it makes my mouth feel after brushing, but I would like to address this question to the Phillips folks: Other than simple greed, is there any other reason why you would design, market and sell a $100.00 toothbrush that must be thrown away when its rechargeable batteries lose their ability to hold a charge? Is there some reason that you don't include this information in your advertising of the product? And as far as a single charge lasting up to two weeks of "normal" brushing, this is a bit of advertising hyperbole at best. While carefully following the initial charging instructions with my two toothbrushes, I have rarely gotten more than a weeks use (brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each session) from either battery. It is a nice product, but it would be better if you could slap a couple of rechargeable nicads in the handle when the old batteries no longer hold a charge rather than throwing the whole thing away.

As a dentist, I have tried this toothbrush as well as other electric toothbrush, such as Oral-B. Unlike other rotary toothbrush, this one is unique because of its high frequency of brushing strokes(31,000/min). It is more efficient than other similiar products.

However, I believe that a regular toothbrush can clean as well as any electric toothbrush. It's like driving a car with automative transmission vs manual. Both can take you to the same destination. Electric toothbrush does make one's life easier if one spends the time to use it correctly. And an electric toothbrush's coolness provides some motivation.

Sonicare is a fine product, but it does come with a high price tag. If you are willing to spend the money, this is probably the best electric toothbrush out there. Take the time to brush your teeth, even if you are using a electric toothbrush.

Excellent product.

Pro's: - Major reason to buy Elite rather than (Sonicare) Advance: brush head on Elite has many fewer nooks and crannies that can foster bacteria. After I switched to Elite, I noticed how many hard to clean areas there were on the Advance brush head -- yuck.
- Teeth feel very "clean" after use. More so than with a disposable.
- Charge lasts an extremely long time. I've taken it on 8 day vacations without the base.

Con's: This might be largely due to how I use (abuse) the product, but I find the brush heads only last me a maximum of 3 months, instead of the suggested 6 months. Spoke to a Philips rep and they indicated I am applying way too much pressure. Makes sense, I'll be more gentle, but still not sure I'll make 6 months.

Advisory note: If you use a peroxide/baking soda toothpaste, make extra sure to keep the handle clean. The chemical composition of the toothpaste can actually cause the plastic handle to crack over time! Philips is aware of this and has adjusted the makeup of the plastic. Nevertheless, I did experience this on the Elite (issue resolved satisfactorily).

I have what I call PTDSD (Post Traumatic Dental Stress Disorder). I have horrible teeth that require lots of fillings and root canals. The dental work with novacaine can be bad enough and the cleanings themselves can be such an event! (and I have one of the best dentists around) Since Sonicare offers a 28 day, money-back guarantee, I bought this toothbrush four weeks before my teeth cleaning appointment.

The features of the toothbrush are great! After just the first use, my teeth felt awesome! I was worried the constant vibration in my mouth would be annoying or painful but it wasn't. It is preprogrammed to gradually increase to full speed during the first week you use it. It also has a button so you can keep in on the lower speed setting if that's your preference. You get used to the movement but it can take a few times to remember to keep the toothbrush in your mouth when it's on - or you constantly clean the mirror of splattered toothpaste. The size and design are comfortable and effective. The charge indicator and plastic travel box make it a breeze to take with you on trips. It has a built in timer that keeps track of the dentist-recommended 2 minutes you are supposed to spend brushing your teeth. It breaks the two minutes into 30 second intervals so you spend an equal amount of time on each section of your mouth.

So how did the cleaning go??? The hygenist said I was almost completely plaque and tartar free (honestly, I need to floss more). The toothbrush proved itself worth the investment. It would be an even greater investment for a couple or family because you can buy one Sonicare and then as many brush heads as needed.

Conclusion: the cost of the toothbrush pays for itself in the money (and stress) you'll save from dental appointments.

As a General Dentist, I have used the Sonicare line for years. This particular model is better than its predecessor, the Advantage. The handle is smaller, as is the brush head. It provides superior cleaning in smaller places. I like this model because a variety of patients can benefit from it. If you have never used one, take advantage of the feature that allows you to "get used to it". To be fair, I also really like the Braun Oral B excel, and the Triumph, but these are NOT sonic.

I have been having trouble with deep gum pockets that have increased dangerously to an 8 depth. The dentist had put me on a 4 month schedule to make sure he kept a good eye on it. I got the Elite about month ago and went in for my appointment yesterday. My 8 pockets had decreased to 5, 5 to 3 etc. This was the first time in the last 5 years they have decreased. The Elite seems to have cleared up my problem and only after a month. I never used the old Sonciare but I have been using a cheaper competitive model so I have to say this is far superior based on the results. My teeth also feel much cleaner and the smaller angled brushhead make it easy to get the backs of my teeth. Sonicare took a long time to update their model but they obviously weren't just sitting around.

I purchased a new 7500 Elite on amazon.com in August 2004 after our old trusty original Sonicare gave out (it was 4 years old and the batteries would not hold charge anymore).
After just one year the battery in this new 7500 Elite would not hold charge for more than a day and now in November 2005 would not even complete a full 2 min. brush cycle anymore.
I called Phillips SOnicare Customer Support. They are quickly to get on the phone, you have to have the brush and charger at hand because they run you through a few tests. After the test they determined that the handle battery was defective and sent a brand new one without any questions asked.
MAKE SURE TO SEND IN YOUR WARRANTY REGISTRATION WHEN YOU BUY ONE OF THESE !! The customer service rep immediately found my registration and purchase data and the warranty replacement was not problem.

RATING: Brush is only a 3 because it is the best brush out there, but has a short battery life. Customer Service is a 5+ because you get a very helpful person very quickly on the phone and warranty is no problem if you registered your product at purchase. Thank you Phillips!!

The replacement handle also comes with a renewed full warranty!

I have read many contradictory reviews, opinions and studies about the relative benefits of brushing with Sonicare, Braun/Oral B and manual brushes. Some people, including dentists, believe the Sonicare is no more, no less efficient than good old manual brushing; some others claim the Oral B does a better job than the Sonicare.
From what I've put together with all this information, the bottom line is that a Sonicare is not significantly better for people under 30 with good oral hygiene and no periodontal problems.

However, if you are over 30 and/or if you have periodontal pockets or your gums bleed when you brush, a properly used Sonicare is an invaluable tool, the only one that can actually reverse periodontal pockets (my 4s and 5s have become 2s and 3s in a little over a year of twice-daily use) and restore healthy, non-bleeding gums.

Key to this is proper use. If you use it like a regular brush it will not help you anymore than a regular brush, and you will have wasted your money. Unlike regular brushes, you need to keep the brush motionless at a 45 degree angle at the base of each tooth for about 10 seconds. The QuadPacer feature is very useful to monitor this. It will take 2 cycles of two minutes each to treat your entire mouth. One cycle for the top, one for the bottom.

Complement this with daily flossing (Reach Access is great if you hate dealing with those pesky strings) and rince for 30 seconds with Listerine after brushing, and I guarantee your dentist will be amazed at your next visit.

The 7500 package comes with a convenient travel case, but only one brush head. The pompously named "deluxe wall mount" is a stupid piece of plastic that will hold the brush and one extra head, but does not charge the brush so it's pretty much useless: if you don't want to keep the brush in its charging cradle between brushings for lack of countertop space, you would probably want to cover the bristles with the supplied transparent cap and put the brush away in a drawer, instead of sticking this ugly thing on the wall. I wonder what they were thinking when they designed this one!

The bundled travel case, however, is very convenient and stays shut unlike earlier versions which shipped with the Advance model. Unfortunately the charger has to be packaged separately. It would be nice if Philips/Sonicare would offer a travel charger; the battery will only last a few days of regular use, so you need to pack the charger if you go on a week-long trip, and that's yet another piece to get lost in the luggage.

The handle features a two-level power setting (normal and "training"), and an illuminated LED battery charge indicator.

The brush handle is sealed, however the attachment of the brush to the handle is not; it's a good idea to remove the brush from the handle every few days to clean and air dry the inside of the brush attachment area, a very minor issue.

I love my Sonicare; it has completely reversed my gum disease, and that is something that no other brush could have done. It may be overkill for younger people, but if you have gum disease, you could not do yourself a better favor than to buy a Sonicare and learn to use it properly.

I bought this brush because I have a tendancy to brush too hard and hoped it would help stop that. It did. It also made my teeth noticably whiter and made brushing fun. Everytime I brush I feel like I have just left the dentists office.