Oral-B 3000 vs 4000 Electric Toothbrush Review

Overall Winner Oral-B Smartseries 4000	Overall Runner Up Oral-B Pro 3000
- 3D Oscillating Rotating - 8,800 oscillations and 40,000 pulsations per minute - Daily Clean Mode - Gum Care Mode - Sensitive Mode - Bluetooth Connectivity - Pro Timer - Visible Pressure sensor - 2 x Brush heads	- 3D Oscillating Rotating - 8,800 oscillations and 40,000 pulsations per minute - Daily Clean Mode - Gum Care Mode - Sensitive Mode - Pro Timer - Visible Pressure sensor
- 28 Minutes Battery Life -7-8 hours Charge Time	- 28 Minutes Battery Life - 7-8 hours Charge time

So which is better Oral-B 3000 vs 4000?

The Oral-B Pro 3000 and Oral-B Smart Series 4000 represent two of the best mid range electric toothbrushes on the market. They are very closely matched on features and price  so which one should you go for? Which one gives you the best bang for your buck?

1) Features – Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

Styling

The Oral-B Pro 3000 and Oral-B Smartseries 4000 both come as standard in a smart dark blue colour. Both electric toothbrushes have a slimline handle and a rubberised grip which is especially grippy when wet. On the front of both electric toothbrushes there is a single on/off button. This button of course turns the Oral-B Pro 3000 and 4000 on and off and switches between cleaning modes.

Quadpacer timer

The Oral-B Pro 3000 and Oral-B Smartseries 4000 both feature a quadpacer timer. This is a great on handle timer that accurately measures when you have been brushing for 2 minutes. It also buzzes every 30 seconds which prompts you to change area of your mouth. This ensures that you brush all your teeth evenly.

Visible Pressure Sensor

Both the Oral-B pro 3000 and Oral-B Smartseries 4000 have a visible pressure sensor which is an essential feature to any electric toothbrush. It is a common fault to press too hard whilst brushing. This can lead to unnecessary toothwear and sensitivity. The red pressure sensor light is on the back of the Oral B Smartseries 4000 and 3000, it is easy to see when you are pressing too hard.

Bluetooth connectivity Oral-B Smartseries 4000 only

The Oral-B Smartseries 4000 features bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone. This is one of the big differentiators between the Oral-B Smartseries 4000 and 3000. This bluetooth connectivity allows you to connect the smartseries 4000 to the Oral-B App. The Oral-B App is available for both Apple and Android phones. It is possible to connect the Oral-B Pro 3000 to the Oral-B App via sound recognition but the connection is not reliable and more difficult to use.

The Oral-B App allows you to document when and what times you brushed your teeth, provides reminders for you to brush your teeth, gives you a system of rewards and provides professional advice. It is a real breakthrough in oral hygiene technology and a worthwhile feature for anyone seriously looking to improve their oral hygiene.

2) Mechanism of Action Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

3D Oscillating Rotating Motion

Both the Oral-B Pro 3000 and 4000 utilise Oral-B’s excellent mechanism of cleaning 3D oscillating rotating. It is my preferred method of cleaning as it cleans 20% better than a manual toothbrush and has been shown also to clean better than the sonic motion used by all Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes. The 3D oscillating motions spins the circular brush head around an axis and pulsates up and down. This effectively breaks up the plaque biofilm and provides a better clean than a manual toothbrush.

Cleaning modes

Both the Oral-B 3000 and 4000 have 3 cleaning modes (the 3D whitening version of the Oral-B Smartseries 4000
has an additional whitening cleaning mode). These are:

• Daily clean mode – a 2 minute cleaning mode that oscillates 8,8000 and pulsates 40,000 times per minute. This is my favourite cleaning mode
• Gum care mode – a 2 minute pulsating cleaning mode that is meant to gently massage the gums, the oscillations vary from 2600 to 8,800 and pulsations from 12,000 to 40,000 per minute. I almost never use this cleaning mode
• Sensitive cleaning mode – a 2 minute reduced power cleaning mode oscillating at 6,500 and pulsating at 30,000 per minute. This mode is really useful for either people who frequently press too hard whilst brushing or people with sensitive teeth.

Brush heads

Both the Oral-B Smart Series 4000 and Oral-B Pro 3000 come with 2 x brush heads, a crossaction brush head and a sensitive brush head. Both electric toothbrushes are compatible with all the Oral-B Brush heads however my favourite brush head is the crossaction. This is because of the 16 degree angulation of the bristles and the small head size of the brush. This means that the cross action is very manoeuvrable around the mouth and can easily access the most difficult of molar teeth.

3) Battery Life: Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

Battery Life

The battery life of both the Oral-B Pro 3000 and 4000 is quite short. Both electric toothbrushes last for around 28 minutes of use. This equates to one week of use twice a day for 2 minutes before the electric toothbrush needs recharging. In an ideal situation it would be better if the electric toothbrush battery lasted for two weeks however one week is usable. On my test the Oral-B Pro 3000 and 4000 both took 7 hours to charge fully from flat. This means if you leave them charging overnight it will be fully charged in the morning.

Charging station

The charging station for the Oral-B Smartseries 4000 is considerably better than the Oral-B Pro 3000. The Oral-B Smartseries 4000 holds more brush heads (4 compared to 2). This is useful if using a single electric toothbrush handle between multiple people.

Both charging stations will need either a shaving plug in your bathroom or a 2 pin to 3 pin adaptor. A good one can be picked up at any dencent hardware store or Amazon.

4) Portability Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

On the product test the Oral-B 3000 and 4000 weigh in at 130g from the electric toothbrush handle only. This is light enough to fit into your hand luggage or into your suitcase. If you travel frequently with your electric toothbrush then it would be advisable to get an electric toothbrush with a travel case. Neither the Oral-B 3000 or 4000 come with a travel case. This is definitely a notable missing feature.

5) Value for Money Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

The Oral-B Pro 3000 currently costs .

The Oral-B Smartseries 4000 currently costs .

Both come with 2 year warranties that can be extended to 3 years by visiting the Oral-B website. Taking into account the Oral-B Smartseries 4000 extra features such as improved charging station and Bluetooth connectivity, I think that the Oral-B Smartseries 4000 offers significantly better value for money.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What are the main differences between the Oral-B 3000 and 4000?

The Oral-B Smartseries 4000 is slightly more expensive as it has more features. These are Bluetooth connectivity and a better upgraded charging station.

Are both the Oral-B Pro 3000 and Oral-B Smartseries 4000 waterproof?

Yes they are both waterproof and can be used in the shower if you so wish.

Are either of these electric toothbrushes noisy?

Not really. They are noisier than a manual toothbrush but not overly so. They are relatively quiet for an electric toothbrush.

How about Philips Sonicare’s electric toothbrush?

I tend to prefer Oral-B because of the better mechanism of action. Philips Sonicare do make some good electric toothbrushes.

Verdict Oral-B 3000 vs 4000

Both the Oral-B Smart Series 4000 and Oral-B Pro 3000 put up a good fight and are very good electric toothbrushes for the money. The better of the two is the Oral-B Smartseries 4000. It is more technologically up to date and offers the better value for money.