Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Review

Our teeth reveal more than just a pretty smile. The health of our teeth and gums is a true reflection, a mirror of the health of our bodies. A healthy mouth is integral to our overall health. Oral health not only includes the teeth, gums, and supportive tissues, but also the roof and the floor of the mouth, the tongue, the lining of the mouth and the throat, lips, salivary glands, upper and lower jaws, and chewing muscles. If you have a problem with one or more of your teeth, it’s indicating an issue with the health of an organ and/or system throughout your body. Infections in the mouth are a portal for disease-causing bacteria to enter your bloodstream and promote a number of health conditions, not to mention tooth decay. This information alone should stir or frighten us into taking better care of our teeth.

Most people brush only once a day using the cheapest toxic toothbrushes the big box stores offer on sale. They also don’t take the time to brush thoroughly enough to remove old and new food residue each day. I admit I have used the cheaper manual and battery-powered toothbrushes thinking all toothbrushes are created equal, right? You don’t realize how wrong this statement is until you’ve used a high-quality electric toothbrush and physically see the difference.

I had the pleasure of test driving the new Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum rechargeable toothbrush. I read that it was designed to provide an exceptionally clean, removing up to 7x more plaque in hard to reach areas and reduces gingivitis up to 2x better than a manual toothbrush. I was sure hoping this was true and was eager to find out.

This attractive and sleek beauty has a host of attributes that I really appreciated. It comes with a UV sanitizer and base, a handle, 2 brush heads, a charger, a travel charger, 2 hygienic travel caps, a power plug, a user guide, and a quick start guide.

First I want to mention that I really like the feel and the size of the handle. Other toothbrushes I’ve used are bulky and clumsy to get a grip on; this is especially challenging for children. The back of the handle has a slight rough texture to it which offers a fabulous grip even if your hands are wet.

Observing the overall appearance of the unit you will notice the brush head is a lot smaller than most toothbrushes we use. This concerned me thinking it couldn’t possibly clean well enough. I was completely wrong. The bigger brush heads usually make me gag thus I tend not to clean those areas as carefully as I should. With the small brush head I was able to get into areas I forgot existed in my mouth and without the feeling of choking. The brush head is called an InterCare Brush Head because of the different colored bristles, each with their own task:
Light green bristles reach between teeth to remove plaque
Dark green bristles gently and effectively remove plaque and debris along the gum line
White bristles polish and clean tooth surface
Blue reminder bristles fade when a replacement is needed

The Sonicare has 3 Brushing Modes:
*Clean – the ultimate in plaque removal
*White – 2 minutes of whitening mode to remove surface stains and 30 seconds to brighten and polish front teeth
*GumCare – combines 2 minutes of Clean mode plus 1 minute of gentle gum massage to improve gum health

You press the intensity level button up or down to choose a mode and a green LED light will indicate which mode you are in. You need to select which mode you want to use before you press the on/off button. Really the only difference between these modes is the time the brush operates. The clean mode operates for 2 minutes and every 30 seconds it will pulse indicating it’s time to change quadrants. After the 2 minutes is up it will automatically shut off. The white mode adds an additional 30 seconds to the time; it’s suggested you use this time on your front teeth. The GumCare mode adds an additional minute which gives the brush more time to invigorate your gums.

I got to try out all the brushing modes and I was/am quite impressed. All three modes were a unique experience and they showed me that I’ve neglected my oral health terribly. I really like them all but the GumCare mode actually seemed to increase the circulation in my gums. Wow, none of these features are available on my previous toothbrushes and it’s a little heartbreaking to realize how much proper dental care I missed out on by using second rate brushes.

There are also 3 Intensity Level Settings: Low (for sensitive areas), medium and high. It also has a feature I adore, the Pressure Sensor automatically tells you when you’re brushing too hard. So when I first started using the Sonicare, this feature was alerting me every few seconds. I was shocked to learn how rough I am on my teeth and gums. I had to learn to brush firm enough to clean but gentle enough not to hurt my gums. I still have my training wheels on but I’m getting better.

There are so many advantages to using this electric toothbrush, it cleans so thoroughly and deeper by reaching areas a standard toothbrush cannot. It’s ultra-fast and vibrates so rapidly it’s creating an ultrasonic experience so it’s quite intense. I found I had to start off on the low intensity first and work my way up to a higher speed. It sanitizes your toothbrush after each use; the sanitize cycle runs for 10 minutes and then shuts off automatically. Having a quality product like the Sonicare in your home will ensure you are taking the best possible care of your oral hygiene.

If you’re traveling, you don’t have to sacrifice proper oral health and use an inferior toothbrush anymore. The unit comes with a travel case and a travel adapter; they’ve thought of everything!

The Philips Sonicare is nothing like any of the other products I’ve used, it is far superior in every aspect. My teeth have never looked or felt better; I love the smooth clean feeling on my teeth. You will feel like you just walked out of your dental office! You still need to floss and brush twice a day for at least 2 minutes for the best results. It’s a fabulous product and I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I received a product for review only. The opinions expressed here are my own, yours may differ.