However, to make the most of these features you may need to take your smartphone to the bathroom and keep an eye on the screen while you brush. In this guide we’re going to run through our pick of the best of the brand’s line-up and explain some of the differences between the different models, so that you make the right choice. It’s not clear that all of these make a huge amount of difference, but having a slower, gentler mode that you can switch to a faster, more intense mode can be useful when you’re getting used to a new brush. Like Oral-B’s Genius 9000 and iO9, the Genius X also offers multiple brushing modes and gum pressure detection, with the 360-degree smart ring glowing red when you apply too much pressure. This Oral-B model comes in four colours including the rose pink we tested and is perfect for anyone switching from a manual toothbrush for the first time.

What’s more, this is one of the few Oral-B brushes that doesn’t feature any vibrating 3D action to break down plaque and work in between your teeth, just a simple, back-and-forth oscillation to clean the surface. You don’t get much in the way of features, although the latest version features three brushing modes along with a 30-second pulse timer.The main unit charges in just one hour but even a speedy three-minute charge provides five minutes usage, so you’ll never face a dead battery when you need to clean your teeth. It feels sturdy to hold and incorporates a two-minute timer, pulsing every 30 seconds to ensure every quarter of your mouth is brushed equally. More modern lithium-ion batteries will give you two to four weeks of brushing – or more – without a recharge, and will take anywhere between three and 12 hours to reach full capacity. All the same, while the action feels a little rough and rattly in comparison to the brand’s more expensive models, it still gives your gnashers a thorough clean, which you can tailor by switching out the CrossAction brush head for a Sensitive or Precision Clean head.

While it won’t replace your dentist, this is as close to a professional clean at home as you’re going to get. We really did feel the whitening mode left our smile brighter too, thanks to the built-in silicone-polishing element. Philips and Oral-B will tell you that you’re not getting the same quality or clean from these cheaper heads, but in our tests some have been perfectly effective. There are also four different brushing modes – clean, white, massage and sensitive – making this brush perfect for anyone nervous about using a more powerful electric toothbrush. Smart Series: The Smart series builds on the Pro series with Bluetooth connectivity and basic smart features.It combines the best of both oscillating and vibrating technology, surrounding each tooth with a brush head inspired by the dentist’s tool yet delivering 48,000 micro-vibrations per minute to break up plaque with zero effort. To test electric toothbrushes, we use them twice a day over a period of at least one week, making sure we get a feel for how they handle and perform when cleaning.

Progress is tracked using sensors in the brush that have been trained via an algorithm and, when used in tandem with the app, this can highlight areas for improvement over time. This will also help keeping the toothbrush software up to date, which can also improve battery performance. We then divide this figure by the four minutes per day recommended by dentists to get an accurate idea of how many weeks and days a single charge should last. Plus, the dinky travel case means it will take up barely any room in your suitcase when travelling too.For at least one of those brushes, we’ll use plaque disclosing tablets to check that all areas of the teeth are getting a proper clean. The sensitive setting cleans gently with 31,000 reps per minute, while the whitening setting delivers 48,000 reps per minute to reduce discolouration, perfect for anyone with a serious coffee habit.

Battery life, meanwhile, is exceptional; you will easily get through two weeks of brushing and probably three without a recharge.After all, we would all like squeaky clean teeth and a whiter smile – and absolutely no-one enjoys fillings or root canal surgery.