Philips Sonicare Essence Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, HX5610/01-1 Handle

I purchased this product after repeated requests by my doctor to "go electric" and using so many darn muscles to scrub my teeth with a boring old passive-bristle toothbrush. Out of guilt, I went online hours before i was scheduled to see my dentist, and hastily purchased the best-rated toothbrush with a reasonable price. Boy, did I luck out! This brush gives you a dentist-clean feel after EVERY brush. EVERY BRUSH! I went from brushing my teeth once, maybe twice a day (if I felt up to it) to brushing three times a day, after meals, after showers, after getting the mail... pretty much just for the heck of it! My brushing time has increased from an average of 37.3 seconds to well over 90 seconds because I can just FEEL my teeth getting cleaner. All kidding aside, the bristle action is firm but not painful. The battery lasts about ten days without a charge. The brush comes apart and fits easily into the pictured carrying case. Buy it. You won't regret it.

I had the first generation Sonicare, which finally died on me after nearly ten years. The only practical and discernible difference between this one and my original Sonicare is that it doesn't beep every 30 seconds. So, if you need a reminder on when it's time to switch sections of the mouth (and it's worth $30+ to you), then you can upgrade to the next model. Otherwise, this does what you would expect a Sonicare to do: Give you a nice clean brushing. Using an electric toothbrush is the way to go for me because I tend to press too hard and compromise my already receding gums. The toothbrush came completely uncharged. I plugged it in before bed and it was done charging by the time I woke up. I used it until the light started blinking (telling me that the charge was low). Same thing, plugged it in at night and it was done by the morning. Each charge lasts about two weeks. From experience (as with all rechargeable electronics), the ability to hold a charge greatly decreases with age. Toward the end, my original Sonicare stayed in the charging cradle after each use.

I've been using this for about a year, and I've had no problems with it. People complain about the inside getting gross, but that's because they themselves are gross and don't clean it. Here's the cleaning ritual I have after every brush: 1. unscrew the top 2. rinse the handle 3. place handle on base 4. pop off the brush 5. rinse the screwy thing and the brush 6. pop brush back into the screwy thing 7. place the brush onto the handle (don't screw it back on, just place it on top) such that it's tilted, allowing the insides to air out This whole process takes like 12 seconds and costs about a tenth of a calorie, so don't even worry about it. The other thing people complain about is that this brush doesn't beep every 30 seconds or whatever, but that's also a non-issue. You're unable to brush your teeth if you don't know whether 30 seconds have passed? I don't think so. I think you CAN do it. Just believe in yourself. The unit is solid, very straightforward, and gets the job done. My last dentist visit was significantly better than when I was using a regular brush (of course, YMMV depending on your oral hygiene). It's hard to imagine needing another electric brush. It's also good for traveling; for trips shorter than 2 weeks, you don't even need the base, because the battery lasts about 2 weeks. Lastly, if you have sensitive teeth, you can buy sensitive replacement head assembly thingies (whatever they're called), which I've been using for the past month or so.

This is the latest version of the original Sonicare design, where each replacement of the brush head comes with a new set of magnets. It's easy to see how the power of the brushing improves when you put on a new head. The fresh magnets are as important as the fresh bristles. The alternating magnetic field that vibrates the brush also slowly weakens the magnets. Getting fresh magnets with each head keeps the unit working like new, People complaining about this brush head design don't appreciate how it is required to maintain the brush performance. It's a feature, not a bug. I'm glad Sonicare has kept this basic design available. Rinsing out the brush and handle assembly after each use isn't all that burdensome, either: it takes less than 30 seconds, and is easily done as you give the unit the same kind of rinse you would give any toothbrush after use. Bottom line: this design is relatively cheap and easy to use while being highly effective. It has been a good replacement for my original Sonicare.

I've used this product for a couple of months now and am fully satisfied with it. Easy to operate, easy to clean, and stays charged for up to two weeks. I especially like the way the drive motor is sealed off, in fact, completely isolated, from the brush. This is accomplished using a magnetic actuator. Also, the rechargeable battery appears to be completely sealed off from the charger (no metal contacts to corrode). Only one thing I might change is the way the brush is attached to the body. There is no water seal on this interface, so moisture can get inside. An o-ring would have solved this problem. After each use, I'd recommend unscrewing the brush and drying inside the neck with a paper towel.

I am pretty sure this is the first version of Philips' modern electric toothbrushes. Their brushing system relies on a basically up and down vibration that cleans teeth far better than one can do with a manual brush. From what I've read, this approach easily beats the number two, Oral-B's circular motion device. This is the least expensive version and it works great. In fact, other than their advertising, I'm unaware of any analysis that shows this doesn't work just as well as their newer, slimmed-down versions. I've now had this for 9 years and it's still going strong.

This continues to be an excellent product. I am a dental hygienist and recommend this to almost all of my patients. The reduction in plaque, tartar and inflammation by just using this product is remarkable. With more effort people can have even better results. I don't recommend this to small children. It vibrates and tickles your nose. Many people cannot get past that but I have my patients make a promise to me. That is to use the brush everyday for one week, THEN make you up your mind whether you like it or not. I have NOT had one patient say they didn't like it. Your teeth feel SO good after each use! Worth every penny and may keep you out of the Periodontist chair and that will save you pain and $1,000's!

I used a Sonicare toothbrush about 5 years ago but got away from it because the replacement heads cost too much. This time I thought I would buy the tooth brush and a set of replacements so I will be good for at least a year. The toothbrush is much more powerful zing to it than I remember. It vibrates your noggin quite a bit but I like the sensation on my gums. The main problem I have with this is that water/spit gets between the brush and the base where it screws on. I have to unscrew it and rinse it out and let it air dry every time I use the tooth brush. Very inconvenient. I tried screwing it on different way and making sure it is tight etc but still the same problem. Quite a bit goes in, enough to "pour" out at the end of the brushing. So it can be disgusting if you don't know about it and leave the tooth brush screwed on.

Not bad

The leak through the head is a major concern, the mould and smell starts to form very soon. Its also hard to clean it because of the design. I am not sure other models have this problem but this is a major concern for me and prompts to change the head often.