My old and faithful Philips Sonicare toothbrush finally bit the dust after seven years (RIP) and I found myself in the market for a new brush.
Videos by Suggest
I had no idea how much the world of oral hygiene has gone high-tech in the last ten years. After pouring through dozens of online reviews and consulting with my dentist, I settled on the Brüush electric brush.
I’ll give you my honest review, detail what Dr. Sydney Joyce of SouthPointe Dental has to say about finding the best electric toothbrushes, and what I learned about taking it through airport security.
Check out the Brüush toothbrush at Bruush.com
Table Of Contents:
- What I Like
- What I Don’t Like
- The Bottom Line
- Brüush Design
- Brüush Performance
- What’s Included
- Brüush Price
- Dentist’s Opinion
- Notable Competitors
- Summary And Where To Buy
What I Like
- Sleek design and multiple color options.
- 6 cleaning modes (including a whitening mode).
- Soft bristles (this was a must-have from Dr. Joyce).
- Built-in timer.
- Rechargeable and 3-week battery life.
- USB charger.
- Automatic power off.
- Brush heads attach and detach easily.
- Travel case.
- Lightweight.
- Mid-range price point.
- Subscription option for replacement brush heads.
- Two-year warranty, 90-day satisfaction guarantee.
What I Don’t Like
- Can’t buy refills on Amazon or non-Brüush retailers.
- Caught the attention of airport security.
- No pressure sensor.
The Bottom Line
This is a stylish, affordable electric toothbrush that provides a deep clean and a two-minute timer. There are six brushing modes, including one I can use with my whitening toothpaste.
The toothbrush head maneuvers easily through my mouth during brushing sessions and left my teeth feeling cleaner than a manual brush. The battery life stood up to its three-week guarantee, and for $105, it’s a well-priced smart brush option. Plus, if you subscribe for new brush head replacements every five months, you can save 15% off the total price. On top of all that, it looks good on my bathroom counter and is easy to clean.
Dr. Sydney Joyce says, “I do recommend electric toothbrushes more prominently for a lot of young people or older people who don’t have as good of dexterity to brush with a manual toothbrush.”
She adds that her patients are often overwhelmed by the number of choices on the market, but she says the most important factor is to ensure the brush heads have soft bristles so as not to damage the gum line.
Brüush Design
The Brüush is a well-designed sonic toothbrush that looks good in my bathroom and is incredibly lightweight.
It comes in several colors, including a handful of limited edition colorways. The brush heads are W-shaped (not round brush heads) and include a brush head cover.
The charger is magnetic and comes with a USB plug option. The travel case was a big selling point for me, although it did get me flagged at airport security. I’m not sure exactly what they thought my new brush resembled on the x-ray machine, but it did require a re-run of my bag.
Brüush Performance
The Brüush sonic electric toothbrush was a nice upgrade to my daily clean. The two-minute timer and pacer helped guide the length of my brushing experience and left me with what I would describe as nearly dentist-clean teeth.
The W-shaped heads are designed to reach hard-to-brush areas to give your teeth a deeper clean. The bristles themselves are soft and made of Dupont Tynex nylon (not silicone). The hum from the sonic brushes wasn’t too loud (nor was it silent). It was easy enough to toggle through the six brushing modes:
- Daily: Gentle enough for daily brushing sessions.
- White: Designed to be used with whitening toothpaste, the white setting offers a more intense clean than the daily setting in order to better penetrate and whiten the teeth.
- Gentle: For older adults or those with sensitive teeth/sensitive gums, this mode cleans without too much pressure.
- Gum: Similar to the gentle mode, this setting is designed to let you safely clean the gum line without running the risk of gum recession.
- Max: A slightly longer clean, designed to help reach harder-to-brush areas. This setting offers deeper pulsing sonic vibrations for three minutes instead of two.
- Tongue: This setting uses a different part of the brush (the back of the head) and is designed to help eliminate bad breath.
What’s Included
- Brüush electric toothbrush handle.
- 3x brush heads.
- Travel case.
- USB magnetic charging stand.
- USB charger.
- Quick start guide.
- Detailed instructions.
Brüush Price
The price point was a major selling point for me. At $105 for the brush, three brush heads, travel case, and charger, it was much cheaper than some of the others I considered. The Philips Sonicare Diamondclean, for example, has a similar look and reviews but sells for more than double the cost. You can knock the price down to $84, a savings of 15%, by subscribing to receive replacement brush heads every five months.
One major con for me is that you can only get the replacement brush heads via Brüush’s website. While the brush itself is sold on Amazon, you have to go to the site itself for the heads. There are two options for replacement heads: an $18 subscription every six months or $24 for three heads a la carte. I’m somewhat leery of subscription options, so for now, I’m sticking to the a la carte plan.
Dentist’s Opinion
Dr. Joyce says more and more of her patients are coming to her asking about electric and smart toothbrushes. When Dr. Joyce looked at the Brüush, she liked that it came with soft bristles and had a built-in timer.
“As people age, they are more prone to recession, so an electric toothbrush that has soft bristled heads is important,” Joyce says.
She noted one con for her was that it didn’t have a pressure sensor to provide real-time feedback about your brushing habits.
“It is also ideal if the toothbrush has a light or some other sensor form that tells if you are brushing too hard,” says Dr. Joyce. “Brushing too hard will also cause recession to worsen.”
Dr. Joyce is often asked if electric toothbrushes like the Brüush are worth the price, and while she says she still prefers a manual brush, her husband prefers electric and it has lasted nearly a decade. She says there are new products coming onto the market in the field of dentistry all the time; what matters most is that whatever brush you use, you use it regularly and follow up with floss.
Notable Competitors
Oral B Pro 1000If, like Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, the American Dental Association (ADA)’s seal of approval is important to you, another option to consider is the Oral B Pro 1000. This Oral B model is very affordable and is compatible with a number of brush heads. The drawbacks for me are that it’s louder, doesn’t have as many bushing modes, has a shorter battery life, and is not as stylish.
Philips Sonicare ProtectivecleanThe Protectiveclean also comes in at an affordable price point, but similar to the Oral B brush option, it doesn’t have the multiple settings. It does have generic replacement brush head options available via multiple retailers.
Quip SmartThis Quip brush offers connectivity to a Quip app to analyze your brushing history, data, and information via Bluetooth. While the concept of smart oral care was initially intriguing, I realized I probably didn’t care enough to actually analyze my brushing habits. It’s also an affordable option.
Oral-B Healthy Clean + Pro White Precision 4000If you’re looking for a dentist-recommended pressure sensor, this Oral-B electric toothbrush fits the bill. It offers four bushing modes though it does cost a bit more than the other options listed. One caveat is that some reviewers claimed the pressure sensor is not very sensitive and requires almost jamming it into your teeth to activate it. Still, if gum care is a primary concern, this may be an attractive option.
Summary And Where To Buy
After using the Brüush toothbrush for nearly a month (without recharging) and traveling with it, I’ve been extremely pleased with this investment in my oral health. At $105, it’s more expensive than some of the entry-level options but offers several brushing modes and a sleek design. The brush heads don’t show wear, even after a month of heavy daily use. It’s sleek and lightweight and easy to throw in my carry-on.
Right now, you can buy directly on Bruush.com. You can also find the Brüush system on Amazon.