Philips Sonicare - ProtectiveClean 5100 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Black

The first time i use it i felt like i just came back from the dentist

Pros 14-day break in for new users 14-day break in can be disabled Can use original, cheaper brush heads without chip Pressure sensor tells you when you are brushing too hard Pressure sensor works even with original brush heads 3 brush modes depending on your needs Smart brush heads can tell you when it’s time to change Quadpacer helps train you to split time evenly when brushing Audible beep when inserted into charging base so you know it’s charging Status light makes knowing battery status easier Cons Smart heads are expensive Mode selection is manual only Brush and mode selection button are the same making mistakes easier Sonicare is trying to do something very difficult by improving a nearly perfect product. Fortunately, with the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 Phillips was careful not to ruin a good thing. The ProtectiveClean is nearly identical in design to previous generations but offers some useful additions. You have a choice of black or white for the main unit, but the brush heads only come in white. Included in the box with the toothbrush is a G2 Optimal Gum Care brush head, charging base, and travel case. For those who have never used a Sonicare toothbrush before the standard 14-day break in period is enabled by default where brushing strength is gradually increased. If you are upgrading from a previous generation the instructions describe a way to skip the 14-day period. What is different is that you have 3 brush modes of clean, gum care, and white. On the 5100 series the mode selection is manual, so you should change your mode to match the installed head. This should not be a problem for most as changing to different brush heads frequently is unlikely. One small issue is that the brush button and mode button look and feel identical and are spaced closely together. This means initially there is an adjustment period where you might accidentally change modes instead of pressing the brush button. Although it is a minor deal and is easily remedied by changing modes back, a difference in the button styles or shapes would be a nice touch to indicate what button you are pressing. Maybe a change in future generations where the brush button protrudes out instead of being concave could further refine the design. Brush heads come in an almost confusing variety. What is common is that they are all offered in three styles in the form of clean, gum care, and whitening. The only difference beyond that is if you are using a standard or premium brush head. Prices can get quite high, over $15 per brush head, depending on choice. The good news is the new ProtectiveClean 5100 is completely compatible with the old brush heads. In fact, even the pressure sensor still works! This is great if you want the new design but have some old brush heads still around or can’t find the new chip style ones. This brings up to the real advantage of the ProtectiveClean 5100 and the reason why owners of previous generations may wish to upgrade even if their current Sonicare still works fine. It’s the pressure sensor. Brushing too hard is very common, according to my dentist, and as light as I thought I was brushing this new 5100 taught me I was still too rough on my gums. If you have a problem with receding gums or your gums are having problems with brushing this one can help teach you the right pressure to brush. You would think brushing lighter would lead to tarter buildup but so far, the only thing that has changed is that my gums are no longer sore. If you are thinking of buying a Sonicare, the ProtectiveClean 5100 is in a nice sweet spot between price and features. You get less brushsync features, but unless you switch brush heads between different styles often you can save the money. If you already own a working Sonicare and are wondering if the upgrade is worth it, it comes down to one question. Could you use some help to make sure you aren’t overbrushing your gums? If you answer yes like me, this is a great toothbrush for you.

I have been using the entry level version of the Sonicare Essence for the past 10 years or so. My teeth had never felt cleaner. I did have to get a new one after about the first 5 years, because unfortunately the battery is not user replaceable. After another 5 years or so on my replacement Sonicare Essence, this battery too needs to be charged all the time. So in comes the setup up for me with the new Protective Clean 5100. It is a lot more expensive than the entry level Sonicare brushes, but has other features which were new to me from my older entry level model. First of all, this Protective Clean 5100 has 3 brushing modes: Clean, White, Gum Care. I personally do not like the gum care mode, I find it does not clean my teeth as well as either clean or white modes, however I can see how someone with sensitive gums would absolutely benefit from this. The Clean and White modes seem to clean my teeth about the same as my older Essence brush. Philips sells three different kinds of brush heads for use with this brush, one which works best for each of the three clean modes. It included the “G2 Optimal Gum Care” head in the box, which is all I have to compare to my older Essence brush. I would suspect the optimal gum care brush head is softer than the others available. This model also has a quadpacer feature, where it beeps/vibrates every 30 seconds, so that you move onto the next section on top front, to inside, bottom front, and you guessed it, bottom inside of your teeth. I really like this feature. This 5100 model also has an electronic reminder they call “BrushSync Technology”. The manual states that it tracks the wear of the brush head, based on the pressure you apply. I have not gotten there yet to know how accurate this is. The brush head has a small electrical contact where it connects to the brush handle. The 5100 also has a pressure sensor to let you know if you are brushing too hard. I haven’t encountered that I did this in my use. All of these extra features can also be turned off. Quadpacer, EasyStart, brush head replacement reminder, and the pressure sensor. I will probably turn off EasyStart, as I have been using this kind of toothbrush for a while, and EasyStart basically just increases the vibration power over the first 14 uses. If you have never used this kind of brush before I would imagine you would just leave it on. I do wish that it had a replaceable by the owner battery. While my essence handle did not have one, and both started losing the ability to hold a charge after about 3 years or so, had the handle had an option to buy a battery from Philips, I would not have necessarily had to buy a new brush all together. The 5100 manual does have a description of how to remove the rechargeable batteries, however they do not mention what kind of battery it is. They also say any attempt to remove the battery will void the warranty. Overall, I do really like the toothbrush, but continue to be disappointed on not being able to change the battery down the road.

OK - I've been using the convention, manual toothbrush all my life. The kids have electric ones, so this one is all mine. First off, it came with a charge, so you can use it right away. It's a small head - so you can't use alot of toothpaste - I must have been wasting the 1 inch long strip I've been using all my life. That said - there are three cleaning modes, Clean, Whiten, Gum Care. The pressure sensitive brush head pulses if you push too hard on your teeth, and the head briefly pauses every 30 seconds to indicate it's time to move to a new mouth quadrant Again, I usually spend about 30 sec TOTAL with a manual brush - so this one makes it easier to tell when you should be done. However, this this really moves! If you aren't used to an electric brush - be ready. It vibrates so fast that you could have toothpaste all over your mirror if you aren't careful (speaking from experience here). It vibrates at such a high frequency that it tickles your mouth and the sound echos throughout my head! Just saying. Overall - my teeth feel super clean when I'm done and I would recommend this to anyone ready to switch from Manual brushing to Electric!

Love the sleek design. The matte black color makes this toothbrush the most modern looking thing in my bathroom. While there are different modes, its 99.9% on the regular “2 minute” clean mode because honestly, anything over 2 minutes is too long. The sonicare does provide several beeps/haptic feedback on how much time you have left and if you’re pressing too hard. Compared to other sonicare toothbrushes, the one provided brush head is childishly small. You can always purchase larger sized heads but sonicare branded ones are nearly over $20 for a pack of 2. I’m a freak about cleaning the toothbrush after use to prevent odors and unsightly mold. The newer design of the brush stem makes it a ton easier to clean than the older models. Battery life is sufficient enough to last for a few weeks so going on vacation without the charger is no problem. The included travel case is a nice bonus. Pros: · Sleek and modern looking · Feels good in the hands · Haptic feedback on timing and pressure Cons: · The included brush head is tiny

I purchased this toothbrush to have as a spare for my Oral-B, which is a great toothbrush too, so I would have one to use while charging the other one. The sonic toothbrush has multiple modes that serve different functions. These electric toothbrushes are the way to go for keeping your teeth clean with very little effort.

I've been a fan of sonic care toothbrushes for over 10 years. My previous 2 lasted over 5 years each and since switching to this model, I've been impressed by the new interval mode and the adjustable levels. It's also a lower profile, reducing the counter space used. Definitely a quality toothbrush and one I would recommend to friends and family.

The package includes a brushead, handle, charger and a travel case. The 5100 features 3 brushing modes clean, white and gum care. The brush has a 2 minute auto timer so you know when to move onto the next quadrant of the teeth. The handle was not charged out of the box for me but after charging it for half hour it worked well. There is a small gap between the brushhead and the handle and am not sure if its intended. The brushed has a soft humming to it and much quieter than any of the oral-b power brushes I have owned. It cleans the teeth as expected. It is expected to last 14 days on a single charge and that means at least 3 weeks of travel for 3-4 days a week and that is an enough reason for business travelers to get one. The case is excellent add on to keep the handle and brushhead separate from other toiletries.