Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Whitening, Pink

Product Information

Sonicare electric toothbrushes use a ‘sonic’ cleaning action, which is slightly different to the oscillating-rotating technology that the likes of Oral-B use. For many years Sonicare stated 31,000 brush strokes, this has changed in more recent times to instead quoting 62,000 movements within their sales documentation. Triple tone of high-med-low means the pressure sensor feature has been deactivated. The brush head replacement light and battery light will also blink amber 3 times in unison to confirm deactivation. Depending on the model, depends on how exactly this is done. There is often a separate intensity button, or the power button is used to change this, once powered on. Easy-Start Most Sonicare brushes will when turned on default to the last cleaning mode used on the brush unless you manually change it or the fitting of a BrushSync compatible head forces a mode change. Sonicare cleaning mode comparison chart

The brush head replacement light and battery light will also blink green 3 times in unison to confirm activation. The toothbrush has a pressure sensor. Press too hard while brushing and you get a pulse through the brush handle warning you to loosen up. It’s a neat way of keeping you brushing properly. As with other models, there’s a two-minute timer, with a pulse every 30 seconds encouraging you to move onto the next quadrant. Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100 – Brush performance From my very own hands-on testing, it is clear that the ‘power’ of the brush differs, depending on what mode you have selected. Most brush heads on any mode are going to deliver a good standard of cleaning and be far better than a manual brush or nothing at all!However, it is not all about speed, the technique has a big part to play, but that is a different topic, for another article. Sonicare doesn’t share the technical explanation, but premium Sonicare models are programmed with an extra dimension to the brushing experience that allows the 62,000 movements to be achieved. Yes, as strange as this might sound in reality there is little actual need for all of these extra modes. Ideally suited to those who have mild sensitivity in their gums, with occasional bleeding and are getting or recovering from gum disease treatment.

The vast majority of Sonicare models offer 31,000 brush strokes and 62,000 movements. There are some exceptions to this though. 31,000 brush strokes/62,000 movements Some models refer to this mode as just Gum Health, whilst on others, it is labelled as Gum Care. It is the same cleaning action, just with a different name.As much as I like the ProtectiveClean 6100, I simply can’t justify what it offers is worth that significant extra spend. The first is a mechanical side-to-side cleaning motion of the bristles to remove plaque by essentially sweeping and scrubbing the surfaces, like a manual brush (although the motor moves the bristles, not you). The lesser power on offer here isn’t immediately obvious. Even for me and I have tested hundreds of brushes. The brushing sensation is slightly different. It is most noticeable if you have used other premium Sonicare toothbrushes before

Unless you need or want the extra cleaning modes that come with the 5100 and 6100, the 4300 is the brush you should opt for. As the mode is selected, it is normally lit up/illuminated by a light within the handle, so it is very clear and easy to see exactly what mode you have switched on. Which brushes have which cleaning modes?Amplitudeis the maximum distance covered (or the sweep angle) by the power toothbrush bristles during their cycle of movement. This is usually defined in terms of mm (distance) or degrees (angle). The Easy-start feature gently increases the power over the first 14 brushings to help you get used to the brushing with the Philips Sonicare toothbrush. The chart summarises the information provided above and you can see which models of toothbrush offer which cleaning mode. An explanation of power delivery: the number of brush strokes and movements Brush performance from the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100 was excellent. To test, I loaded up my test teeth with beetroot and spinach, pushing bits of food between the gaps in the teeth.