I decided to retire my Sonicare IntelliClean, the model that pumped specially-formulated Crest toothpaste through the brush head. That thing was far too high-maintenance and difficult to clean. So it was time to upgrade. I picked up the Sonicare Elite E9000, their newest model, and was delighted to see the changes that they made to the brush.

The most important improvement: the small brush head. In addition to the full sized brush, they folks at Philips include a smaller brush head, as well. It helps you reach those far back teeth where larger brushes struggle to fit between your gums and cheek. My dental hygienest always recommended that I purchase a smaller toothbrush that is meant for children to get those hard-to-reach places. However, when you go that route, those areas of your teeth and gum don’t get the magic scrubbing power of the “sonic” technology that loosens up plaque much better than manual brushes. I guess Philips heard the prayers of hygienests around the world and answered them with the E9000.

I’d also like to add that the E9000 is more powerful than the Oral B Vitality Sonic brush that I mentioned earlier. The E9000 brushes actually move, increasing the scrubbing power, whereas the Oral B Vitality Sonic brush relies on your brushing movements more. I’m not knocking the Oral B brush. It’s great if you don’t want to shell out the cash for the Sonicare.

 Here are some other benefits of the Sonicare Elite E9000:

A programmable timer–The brush automatically runs for 2 minutes, and beeps every 30 seconds to let you know that it’s time to switch areas of your mouth, but if you want to spend an extra 30 seconds scrubbing certain areas, you can do that!

Two Speeds–If you have sensitive areas of your mouth, you can switch the speed to “Gentle” instead of “Max.”

Easy Start– For the first 2 weeks (I think), the brush will slowly increase its strength and speed to ease your mouth into sonic brushing. How thoughtful!