Philips Sonicare Elite e9500 Custom Care Power Toothbrush

My wife and I have been using the Sonicare system and really believe in their effectiveness. It was a no brainer gift idea when my daughter hinted she would love to get one someday. Her birthday was coming up and I usually like to give gifts that can be used frequently. Pricing on Amazon was great and so was the free shipping. My daughter is estatic with the Sonicare Elite e9500 and is now a believer. Best dental care investment you can make.

My gum health has improved and my teeth are cleaner after using this toothbrush. I have owned it for just over a year now, using it twice a day.

I use the 2-minute Smartimer (actually, I use the 2 minute 30 second timer option so that I can brush the top of my molars) and the 30-second Quadpacer interval timer.

The charge last for many days, which is handy for taking it on vacations if you don't want to take the charger along (although it is very small).

I like the way the toothbrush puts you through a start-up procedure when you start using the toothbrush. It will slowly increase the speed of the vibration over the first few days until it reaches full vibration power. Full power right at the start would be too much. Consequently, my teeth didn't really feel clean until it finally got to the final full power stage - just a warning for you.

The flaws that I found, which will probably still not prevent me from buying the same unit when this one breaks, are as follows:

- Replacement brush heads are expensive. I know, they are supposed to last three months, but still paying a total of $56 for a set of two regular heads and two compact heads every six months puts a dent in my wallet.

- The first button (the one you use to turn it on and off) partially caved in after a few months, as another reviewer noted. This hasn't caused me a problem but makes me a little worried when I periodically go to clean the gunk out in holder under the faucet.

- The heads last three months because I believe they would be classified as "medium" or "hard". I was told in the past to use only soft brushes, which is why my manual toothbrushes wouldn't last very long - at least they were cheap to replace. Since my periodontist hygienist recommended this product and my gums have not been damaged, I suppose the stiffer bristles are okay.

- After using the brush head a month or so it will take firmer tightening to put it on the holder without having it make a vibrating loose sound. This may only be a problem for me because I use the standard head for the main brushing, and then switch to the compact head to brush behind my rear molars. So, I change heads a lot.

My dentist recommended a Sonicare toothbrush to me as a way to keep my teeth as clean as possible between 6 month checkups. What a difference this toothbrush makes! I used to spend at least 10 minutes meticulously brushing my teeth with a regular toothbrush, but still had plaque build-up in certain areas. With the Sonicare, I've been able to reduce my brushing time to 2 minutes (using the built-in timing program of the Elite e9500), and yet have a much cleaner mouth than before. Even my wife has commented on how quickly I'm finished with my night-time routine. I initially tried to use the Sonicare in a similar fashion to a regular brush, but ended up with some abrasions on my gum - yes, you CAN get too much of a good thing. :) At that point, I decided to trust the built-in timing program, and use it as a guide. I'm still amazed at how well it works. I've also found I use much less toothpaste due to the smaller 'regular' head. I haven't tried the compact head, since the regular head is smallish, but the regular head provides just enough coverage.

After having read others complain about battery life and keeping the Sonicare clean, I've made sure to only put the unit in the charger when needed (about every 2-3 weeks or so), and I keep it angled up slightly so I don't get toothpaste down the handle (easily prevented). I only use it once a day (using my regular brush in the morning), and find that's more than enough to keep that 'fresh from the dentist' feeling.

I am using my Sonicare toothbrush at least once a day and certainly like the clean feeling it leaves in my mouth. It is easy to understand the directions for using it. Another feature, after the intial charging, it is always ready to be used.

Seems to be doing the job of getting rid of plaque but I won't know this until my next periodontal visit.

I see that when switching brushes because I was using the smaller for hard to reach place, the inside of the handle and the inside of the brush attachment held slimy liquid with a horrible odor. Why does this happen? and maybe there should be instructions on how to disinfect, other than investing in an additional accessory.