Sonic Boom or Bust? Sonicare Elite 7300
Written: Apr 12 '04 (Updated Nov 09 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Removes plaque well. Some like the feel. Recommended by dentists.
Cons: Initial expense. Cost of replacement brush heads. That Buzz.
The Bottom Line: Four star rating is based on Mrs. Spudman's testimony.
Tightwads should try the Crest Spinbrush Pro before spending a bundle on the Sonicare.
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| nagels's Full Review: Sonicare The Elite 7300 Toothbrush Philips |
Today we bring you an edited interview with notorious cheapskate and bargain hunter Spuds Spudman. He recently lunched with Reporter Penny Pyncher of the Tightwad Weekly.
Penny: Whatever possessed you to buy Mrs. Spudman a Sonicare Elite 7300? Couldn’t you have found a nice toothbrush at the dollar store?
Spudman: Yes! Yes! I could have, and I’m still sick about it. Being only a couple weeks before Christmas, I was running out of ideas. After all, a woman married to me already has everything. Besides, her hygienist had recommended the Sonicare, and Mrs. Spudman made it clear she’d like to have a Sonicare toothbrush.
Penny: So why did you opt for the Elite model? Those things can cost $100 or more and you could have bought a Sonicare Advance model for much less?
Spudman Yea, I know. But besides being a legendary skinflint, I’m also a perfectionist and want to get the best bang for my buck. I don’t like the design of the Advance; the Elite has a longer neck. Also the Elite has more electronic gimmickry and wizardry than the Advance. In addition, while the Advance has an ergonomic non-slip grip, the Elite has an enhanced ergonomic handle. Besides owning something Elite makes us feel special.
Penny: Ok, so what are the features of the Sonicare 7300?
Spudman: Patented sonic technology (”Thanks to a built-in microprocessor, the Sonicare bristle tips move 3 times faster than other leading power toothbrushes - that's 100 times faster than you can brush manually.” Sounds great, even scary, but I assumed these things had some kind of sonic power or moved at the speed of sound. )
· Smart timer – shuts off automatically in two minutes. If you shut if off prematurely, it picks up where you left off.
· Easy Start brushing power ramp up. The intensity of the brushing gradually increases with each brushing for the first 14 days, giving the brusher a chance to get used to using the Sonicare.
· Extra gentle bristle design - “ A precise combination of Soft, Extra soft, and super soft end rounded bristles.
· Quadpacer – it beeps every 30 seconds to remind you to move one to the next “quadrant” of your mouth.
· Superior cleaning technology - WOW! Superior to what?
· Ergonomic tapered handle (This is the feature that sold me. I like ergonomic even if not economic.)
· Dual color recharge indicator – blinks yellow when charge is low – glows green when full. I sometimes turn green when I’m full also.
· 2 year limited warranty They always seem to be limited, don’t they?
· 28-day results guaranteed. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or you get a full refund. Hmmm. Wonder if you could get a new toothbrush every 28 days-
· Comes with one brush head, a charger base with easy-wrap cord, a brush head holder, a deluxe travel case. I think it is actually genuine plastic. Very impressive. A luxury holder is included with the 7500 model.
Penny: Is the Sonicare safe to use on bridges, crowns and implants?
Spudman: According to the Sonicare website it’s very safe and it effectively removes plaque at the gum line. That’s good news for someone like me. I have so many crowns in my mouth that my dentist calls me King!
Penny: Well that sounds wonderful, but I still can’t believe you’d spend so much on a toothbrush.
Spudman: I didn’t. At the time they were going for about $129 in the stores when not on sale. That’s outrageous. I got one on Ebay for 65 dollars including postage.
Penny: Great deal! Had it been used?
Spudman: No, it was brand new and in the original packaging. The only problem was that I had no store receipt and couldn’t take Advantage of a $10 discount coupon (on a retail purchase ) the dentist had given us.
Penny: How does Mrs. Spudman like the Sonicare?
Spudman: She says that she likes how it feels and that her teeth have that same just cleaned feeling she gets after a professional cleaning. Mrs. Spudman also likes the small brush cap for the bristles, very sanitary. Even though the charger is small, there’s no room for it in her bathroom so it only comes out when the Sonicare needs a charge. Oddly she never uses this electric toothbrush for her first morning brushing even though she claims to like the Sonicare. She says the two-minute time constraint and the buzz are too much for her first thing in the morning.
Penny: Are her teeth any brighter?
Spudman: She thinks they are. I’m not sure. I’ve taken some before and after photos, and after three months I’d say they look marginally whiter. However, her being a smoker might factor into this. I’ll update this review after she has her next dental checkup.
Penny: Why don’t you use this toothbrush?
Spudman: For one, only one brush head comes in the package. My manual oral hygiene routine earns me high marks from the dental hygienist already.
I don’t like the idea of a timed brushing. The thought of spending 25 to 30 dollars a year for replacement heads isn’t appealing.
Also I’m not crazy about how it feels in my mouth. Mrs. Spudman insisted I try the Sonicare a few times. Afterwards she cleaned the brush head with ultra hot water and soaked it in a Lysol /Listerine solution overnight. Personally I don’t like the feel, the vibration and the buzzy sound of it. It just doesn’t float my boat, bake my cake, rock my sock, or flood my spud. I don’t get any scintillation in my insulation.
Penny: Do you have any final words of advice for anyone considering a purchase of this modern dental marvel?
Spudman: I’m an eternal and infernal skeptic so I’d never buy one for myself. The Sonicare Elite is too pricey, and I’m not taken in by the company jargon and very skillful use of connotation. ( Sonic, Elite, Superior, Easy start, Smart timer, Deluxe, Extra gentle, Enhanced, Ergonomic, Patented, etc, etc.)
Call me lazy, but I’m not keen on cleaning the brush head weekly “including under the nut”, cleaning the charger, cleaning the base, and fooling with charging my toothbrush every two weeks (24 hours for charging unless it’s kept in the charger). I have enough electronic gear to maintain.
I must say that Mrs. Spudmaniac is happy with her electronic dental appliance, as are others who’ve written testimonials about their Sonicares. The hygienists at our dentist’s office highly recommend the Sonicare.
If you must have one, get one on sale or shop Ebay like I did. Visit the Sonicare site – www.sonicare.com/products; it’s actually very comprehensive and informative and even offers short movies for viewing.
I’ll leave you with one last thought. A few weeks ago I was flipping through the December 2003 issue of Consumer Reports and spied a short piece about electric toothbrushes. It states that the top rated Sonicare Elite 7500 ($140) removed more than 80% of plaque. The Crest Spinbrush Pro ($7) removed about 75% of plaque. The batteries in the Crest model can be replaced. The Sonicare’s batteries can’t be replaced. The decision is yours.
Thank you for reading this review.
Recommended:
No
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