It is essentially a tray with 4 recesses into which a brush head can be laid. A translucent lid then closes down over them protecting the heads from dust and debris. But, importantly allowing ventilation so the heads can dry out. For 99.9% of users there will be years of hassle free brushing, but should you be one of the 0.01% where inevitably something does go wrong, Oral-B do not leave you high and dry. It has not been designed to be easily repaired by yourself. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken. When using the Bluetooth connectivity, the app will show the cleaning mode. I will explain the connectivity option in more detail shortly.

The Smart 4 is available in 2 colour options, white or pink. The handle body is a gloss white plastic, but there is a large rubber grip that runs down the front of the handle too. This is either white or pink, subject to the variant you opt for. Each of the 3 cleaning modes work slightly differently, with differing levels of oscillations, rotations and pulsations to achieve different cleaning effects on the teeth.As a result of this change, the Smart 4 and other models now have a battery life more fitting of the current climate. The variant with the case is primarily sold via Shaver Shop for the same price as the one without a case. I suspect over time you will learn this, but wouldn’t some icons or LED’s be helpful to show the mode. The more premium Smart 6 and Genius range offer them.

The idea being, launch the Oral-B app, sit the phone in the stand and you can now see the timer and how well you are cleaning, plus all the useful advice. There is the reality that most of us don’t need over a weeks battery life, but there is something to be said for having the ability to take a brush away on vacation and not having to worry about charging it! Right at the top of the brush handle is a metal prong, this is what the brush head connects to and feeds the power from the brush motor. The Smart 4 uses a handle design that has been tried, tested and perfected over many years and I really can’t find any obvious faults with it. It is well built and solid in hand. It is important for your oral health to replace your toothbrush head every 3 months or sooner if your bristles are frayed.Using a free app available for Android and iOS you can connect the 4000 wirelessly to your smartphone. There is no denying that this brush cleans the teeth and mouth well. It offers a pretty decent battery life, whilst also looking fairly good and feeling solid and slim in hand. A little extra that the Smart 4 comes with is a brush head stand. This is a white plastic module that clips around the charging stand with 2 prongs on, onto which brush heads can be placed. There is the reality that most of us don’t need over a weeks battery life, but there is something to be said for having the ability to take a brush away on holiday and not having to worry about charging it! The idea behind this connectivity is to essentially be a little like having a dentist or hygienist looking over your shoulder saying good, bad, brush for longer, you missed a bit. It is about education for better cleaning rather than telling you that you have got it all wrong.

With the Pro 3, there are a series of dimples running from the top to the bottom of the handle. These dimples are far more subtle in appearance. They do provide texture onto which the fingertips can grip, but they are not quite as effective as the raised ridges on the 4000. In the unlikely event, something goes wrong, there is as standard a 24 month warranty is provided with the 4000. This covers the battery too. Register the brush online and you get an extra 12 months at no extra cost, so 36 months or 3 years in total. The grip on the rear of the Pro 3 brush handle comes in the form of lots of dimples compared to the ridges on the Smart 4.Ideally, a way of selecting the mode prior to actually turning the brush on would be the solution. This is not available, not even on the premium Genius 9000 model. Both have a cylindrical shape to the handle, but the Pro 3 has the much cleaner and more minimal look.

This is not the most ludicrous given some of the RRP’s for other brushes, but it is still more than you should pay. As good as the app is, I feel this may also be one of the negatives as some will not see the point of using it or find it more hassle than it’s worth. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.A point to note here is the different versions of the Oral-B Smart 4 that I mentioned earlier. Whilst both models comes with the same cleaning modes, the Smart 4 4000S comes with the 2 x Sensitive brush heads, most fitting to the Sensitive cleaning mode offered on the brush.