Good Vibrations! (Braun Oral-B Vitality Sonic)

Member Name: Foxy-Lady

Product:	Braun Oral-B Vitality Sonic
Date:	09/01/08 (588 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great value

Disadvantages: Quite pricey replacement brush heads

I've recently registered with a new dental surgery. Now, considering that I hadn't been to see a dentist at all over the last seven years, you could say that I was rather nervous about the prospect of my first appointment.

I used to have regular six monthly check ups but a combination of getting married, moving away from my home town, unable to find an NHS dentist taking on new patients and not being able to afford to pay for private care meant I have therefore just looked after my teeth to the best of my ability.

On the day of my appointment I was very surprised to find that my teeth were actually in fairly good condition. Any decay had apparently only been caused by my pregnancy during 2005 so all in all, I hadn't done a bad job really! To continue to keep my teeth in tip top condition, my dentist did recommend that I invest in an electric toothbrush. So off I trotted with my freshly cleaned, scraped and polished pegs, in search of a suitable product.

Now as much as I want to take care of my teeth, there is no way I am spending 100 quid on an electric toothbrush like the Sonicare for example. I know somebody who has one and absolutely swears by it. But no, I can't justify that price so I wanted a cheaper alternative that wouldn't break the bank but still have great cleaning capabilities. Being a well known brand, the Braun Oral B Vitality range immediately jumped out at me as I scoured the shelves in Boots.

There are a few variants in the Vitality range so you are sure to find a model that suits your particular requirements...ProWhite, Precision Clean, Dual Clean. I chose, after much deliberation, the Precision Clean model.


~ PRICE ~

In my opinion it's pretty reasonably priced at £25 (I think all the models in the range cost the same amount) but the even better news is that they seem to be on offer at half price on quite a regular basis. At £12.50 it seemed an opportunity that was far too good to be missed...a bargain! So I grabbed two (one for hubby) and headed to the checkout.

I also had a look at the replacement heads while I was in store. These are quite pricey unfortunately at approximately £14 for a pack of 4 (which is a years supply). But, you will find that they are also frequently for sale at a reduced price of about a tenner - which when you think about it, equates to roughly the same price per head as what you could pay for a decent manual toothbrush. Note to self: Remember to purchase next time I see them on offer!


~ THE TOOTHBRUSH ~

Well, it looks just like an electric toothbrush! It's white and blue in colour which gives it a fresh, clean appearance. The blue area is actually of a rubbery texture, providing additional grip to the handle. Simple on and off buttons are user friendly.

The head of the Precision Clean is round and quite small - this makes it highly effective and therefore ideal for precision cleaning! According to Oral B, the head 'cups the teeth individually, allowing exceptional cleaning'. It is also clinically proven to remove twice the amount of plaque that a manual toothbrush does.

The head features coloured bristles which as well as looking a bit more attractive, also have the added functionality of reminding you to replace the head. The colour actually fades through use to let you know that it's time to change. This should be about every three months.

There are a wide range of alternative heads available so you can adapt your toothbrush after purchase. They are nearly all interchangeable and include a special head with flossing feature, or you could simply swap to the ProWhite head...the choice is yours.

The Oral B websites (www.oralb.com or www.oralbvitality.co.uk) give you more information on all the available products, heads and also provide the dates that some stores will have the toothbrushes on offer.


~ USE ~

After finally managing to get into the virtually impossible blister pack and discovering that the toothbrush was already charged, I rushed upstairs to try out my new toy.

It feels quite a bit heftier than a standard toothbrush which is fully understandable, but it's still comfortable to hold. I suppose you could say that it's ergonomically designed. The added rubberised grip also works well in preventing the unit from slipping out of your hand during use.

The small head that I described earlier does reach to the back of the mouth with ease and seems to be able to get into all the nooks and crannies around your teeth. It is most effective if you just let it glide accross your teeth, without adding too much pressure, as the toothbrush does all the hard work for you!

I personally also enjoy the vibrations on my gums...it kinda tickles slightly!

The packaging states that you may experience some slight bleeding from the gums after you first start using the toothbrush (you must discontinue use if it doesn't seem to stop after the first few brushing sessions) so I was worried that the bristles might feel a bit harsh. I couldn't have been more wrong though...it feels nice and soft on my gums. I did have some bleeding (I think it was following the first couple of uses) but this wasn't accompanied by any discomfort at all.

Regarding toothpaste, I find that I need to apply a second blob as one application doesn't seem to last for both top and bottom rows of teeth.

And the noise level? Certainly not unpleasant. I wasn't horrified when I started it up and it was no worse than I expected from a product of this type. It's obviously noisier than its silent manual rival though!


~ DOES IT WORK? ~

I'd never used an electric toothbrush before and I've got to admit I've been completely surprised by how clean, fresh and smooth my teeth feel after use. They even seem to feel more defined. At 7500 rotations per minute I can fully understand how it can clean so well - there's no way this could be achieved by manual brushing!

I obviously can't prove that it cleans teeth better than a manual toothbrush, as stated by Oral B, but my dentist could tell that I'd gone electric without me even mentioning it. Surely that says a lot!

So yes, I'd say that it certainly does work.


~ BATTERY LIFE ~

I don't think I mentioned previously but the Vitality range is rechargeable so you don't need to keep replacing batteries - another bonus. It comes complete with a charger which has a two-pin plug. You therefore either need to have a shaver socket in your bathroom or a two-pin adaptor, which fortunately I already had.

The charging base doesn't tell you when it's charging or when it's fully charged. Some kind of indicator light would have been a useful feature but would probably also add additional cost to the product. I just put my toothbrush on charge overnight when it's running low and this seems to do the trick.

And how long does a full charge last? With approximately two minutes brushing, two times a day, I find that the charge lasts about 5 days which is exactly what Oral B state on the packaging so no problems there.


~ OVERALL~

I've since recommended the Vitality products to family members and friends who have taken my word for it and purchased their own...with no disappointments. Hubby has also been very impressed.

I think that the Oral B Vitality Precision Clean is a great product that is highly affordable, particularly at the sale price, for people on a budget.

So go on...look after your teeth!

Summary: Affordable electric toothbrush

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