The differences between this model and the "older" Flexcare are minimal, that is probably why all they did is add a + to the end of the name. But there are a few differences between the two.
1. Most notably is the "new" look. It has a cleaner appearance with most of the front being a dark chrome look, also instead of the green led's, it has a backlight behind the selected brushing mode.
2. Gone are the 'Go Care' and 'Max Care' and in their place are 'Gum Care' and 'Refresh' mode. They do exactly what the other one did except for one important change on the 'Gum Care' mode which replaced 'Max Care (which is why I picked the new one over the old) '. Instead of having a 3 minute routine with 45 seconds each quad (30 normal + 15 massage) for a total of 3 min; they now have it where it goes 30 seconds each quad with an added 1 minute at the end for 'problem areas' which is broken down into four 15 second intervals.
3. 'Different' color, looks very similar - its 'Soft Sky Blue' instead of 'Medical Blue'. Basically bluer color than the old one which was more of a green color.
4. Supposedly lasts longer - 42 2-minute brushings, vs. 20 2-minute brushings of the old one
5. Case is now hard plastic instead of the soft case that comes with the old model
There is also a few changes in what the battery display shows with its charge but I'm not going to go into it that far with this review. I decided to upgrade from the Sonicare Elite as I was getting tired of seeing the nasty gunk that would grow inside of the handle. It was time to get a new brush head so I decided to go ahead and get a new brush while I was looking around. Overall I think it has been a good decision as this brush shouldn't need the constant cleaning of the old one and I like the new 'Gum Care' routine. So if wanted to know the differences, there you go, you probably now know more than you wanted about a toothbrush. If your like me and wanted to know at least some of this, it should help you decide between the two. Be sure to click yes if this helped you out! Thanks.
This is a GREAT investment in your dental hygiene. I have had this for only a few days and it knocks the pants off of my old Sonicare Elite that I have had for almost 5 years. New Flexcares are the way to go in my opinion. The look and feel of this tooth brush is very high tech and sleek. In comparing the Elite model with the Flexcare plus I have noticed a tremendous amount of improvements. The first is the Procare brush heads that come with this toothbrush. They are slightly more course (which I like) than the original brush heads that I bought for my Elite. They also have a blue strip on them which diminishes in time to signal when you need to replace the brush head. It just feels like my teeth are cleaner than when I used the Elite. Also the 5 modes of cleaning you can choose from compared to only one with my Elite. The quadpacer feature is pretty nice. It is basically a small and short beep every 30 seconds to signal you when you should switch brushing from one quadrant of your teeth to another. And the last thing that leapt out at me was the UV sanitizer built in to the charger. After 5 years with one model, I was growing paranoid about the cleanliness even though you change up brush heads. Some added accessories come in very handy if you travel a lot. A miniature travel case with an extra brush head and a miniature charger come with this purchase. I highly recommend this item to anybody.
Dentist told me few years ago this was the best way to protect your teeth and gums. Didn't get around to buying. Dentist was so right that this is light years ahead of normal tooth brushing for cleaning teeth and keeping gums healthy. Fact that it has a method for completely sterilizing brushes made me take the jump to buy. Insructions easy; the pause system that tells u when u have spent enough time on a section of your teeth makes this so user friendly. Lasts long time between charging--nearly a month. Be prepared for irst time use---it will tickle like crazy. Switch it to "sensitive" for a few brushings and by 2nd brushing I had no tickling sensation. You immediately adjust. Moved from sensitive to normal seeting within a week. If a family---you'll need more than one power wand, since if one of you is traveling, who gets custody of the Sonicare becomes an issue! After I bought this, saw some sets come with multiple wands.
This is my third Sonicare toothbrush. I've owned the Elite and Intelliclean and other brands of sonic toothbrushes and I must say, the Flexcare Plus is the best one yet.
Out of the box, I see that the handle is slimmer than the others, sleeker and much more attractive; and the cleaning modes are displayed on the handle. It's easy to switch modes and there's no need to guess which mode the unit is in.
It is easy to clean. Not all Sonicare brushes are. Some sport messy toothpaste dispensers (Intelliclean) or difficult to reach pit (Elite).
The only problem I encounter is the brush head must fit on the handle in a certain direction -- you have to fit it on a rod, which is flat on one side. The Elite screws on, which is easy for the kids. This one takes a little more precision, which isn't difficult, but maybe not something for younger kids, those with poor eyesight or shaky hands.
***ACCESSORIES***
Oh my. So many accessories.
FOUR COLORED RINGS, to distinguish the toothbrush heads -- choose one for you and one for your spouse.
TWO BRUSH HEADS with sanitary covers.
A NICE, HARD PLASTIC TRAVEL CASE which holds the handle and two brush heads -- the most attractive I've seen with the Sonicare toothbrushes.
TWO CHARGERS: a small travel charger and a full size charger that is attached to a UV sanitizer. My other Sonicare brushes did not come with extra travel chargers.
***CLEANING MODES***
Flexcare has Quadpacer technology, which means it beeps every 30 seconds to remind us to move to another quadrant. That feature may be disabled, but I find it most useful. Intellicare includes Quadpacer technology. I believe some Elite models have Quadpacer, but mine did not.
There are four different cleaning modes included. Intellicare has two modes and Elite has one.
CLEANING mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning.
GUM CARE mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning plus 1 additional minute to concentrate on the gums (Quadpacer beeps every 15 seconds for the gum care minute). The gum cleaning is more gentle. This is my preferred mode.
REFRESH mode: 1 minute.
SENSITIVE mode: 2 minutes. More gentle cleaning.
MASSAGE mode: 2 minutes. I can feel larger, slower circular vibrations than in any other mode. Feels like a back massage in the mouth.
***UV SANITIZER***
The UV sanitizer can sanitize two brush heads at the same time. Turn it on and it sanitizes for 10 minutes then automatically turns off. I thought maybe my toothbrush would be all wet inside, but it dries out my toothbrush for me. This the only Sonicare toothbrush I've owned with a UV cleaning feature and I think it's a wonderful addition.
PROS:
+ comes with two brush heads and colored rings
+ nice travel case (best I've seen for Sonicare)
+ comes with small travel charger in addition to standard charger
+ standard charger has a UV sanitizer for two brush heads
+ Quadpacer technology to pace your cleaning
+ four separate modes -- easy to read and set
+ slimmer, sleek handle
CONS:
- doesn't dispense toothpaste (Intelliclean does, but I honestly didn't care for that feature. It's really not a con for me, but perhaps it is for some people.)
- brush head isn't easy for young children or those with disabilities to attach
***SUMMARY***
Sonicare cleans teeth so much better than regular brushing alone. My dentist and my children's dentists always marvel at how clean our teeth are. It's really the toothbrush, because when we don't use Sonicare, the dentists notice. The question is which Sonicare to choose.
For young kids, I'd go with the Elite. It's easier for them to change brush heads, and it's simpler and less expensive. They don't understand the concept of the Quadpacer technology (at least my kids didn't); and rather than using the appropriate mode, they just play with it.
For adults, Flexcare Plus is the way to go. Sleek, easy to clean, a variety of modes, UV sanitizer -- it is my favorite sonic toothbrush of all time. - Sonic Toothbrush - Electric Toothbrush - Toothbrush - Flexcare Plus'
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