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In a long line of Oral-B electric toothbrushes, the Pro 2 is something of a budget option. It lacks the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive brushes, but could be perfect if you want good hygiene without the fancy features. Is the Oral B Pro 2 the best brush for you, or should you stretch and spend a little more?
First Glance
The Oral-B Pro 2 is one of the brand’s less expensive brushes. It’s not the cheapest Oral-B brush, but comes at a very affordable price and with very limited features. For your money you get a two-minute timer and pressure sensor but very little else.
Pros
- Round toothbrush heads for effective cleaning
- Pressure control to protect your gums
- Battery that lasts up to two weeks on a full charge
Cons
- Suffers from Oral-B's common battery degradation problem
- Takes a long time to fully charge
- Only comes with a 2-pin shaving plug
About the brand
Most people have heard of Oral-B, and know it’s a brand they can trust. Launched by a dentist in 1950, the Oral-B brand has become a household name and a leading choice for dental hygiene products. Over the years, Oral-B has developed a range of dental products including electric and manual toothbrushes, floss, mouthwash, toothpaste and water flossers.
You might see Oral-B products in your dentist’s office. Many dentists advertise and sell Oral-B branded items. Oral-B's electric brushes are made with Braun technology, varying greatly in price. Whilst their cheapest brushes cost no more than £30, you could pay up to £500 for a high-tech brush with all the best features.
The Oral-B brand is under the umbrella of Proctor & Gamble. Does the Oral-B Pro 2 electric toothbrush live up to its solid reputation?
What’s in the box?
Don’t expect much for your money. When you open up your Oral B Pro 2 box, you’ll find nothing more than an electric toothbrush, one toothbrush head and a mains-powered charger. The charger comes with a 2-pin shaving plug, so you’ll need an adaptor to use it where these aren’t available.
The Pro 2 is compatible with other Oral-B toothbrush heads, though you’ll need to buy replacement heads separately or add them to your order. A set of four replacement heads is typically sold for around £12 in stores and online.
The Oral B Pro 2 is available in your choice of white, black, blue or pink. 2500 models come with a travel case, whilst 2000 models do not.
Remember that you’ll need to replace your toothbrush head after roughly three months, and after periods of illness or when it’s been damaged. You’re likely to need four replacement heads to get you through the average brushing year.
Look and Feel
A good weight and with a comfortable rubber grip, the Pro 2 electric toothbrush is easy to hold and use. The body of this toothbrush is relatively slim, and vibrations during use aren’t too strong.
When buying your toothbrush, you’ll be able to choose between four different colours. White, black, blue and pink are available. All brushes have bold colours, making them easy to distinguish if you’re in a hurry a have several similar brushes in the bathroom.
Effectiveness
The Oral-B Pro 2 electric toothbrush comes with all the essentials. It has an oscillating head, with several different styles to choose from, and brushes your teeth using circular movements. Many people find Oral-B's oscillating toothbrush head more effective than side-to-side brushing, typically associated with brushes that feature sonic movement. The small circular head of your Oral-B brush is also easy to move around your mouth, comfortably helping to reach the back molars and suitable for children and teens.
With this brush, you won’t get too many fancy features. In fact, the only two worth noting are the two-minute brushing timer and the included pressure sensor. This brush will light up if you’re pressing too hard on your teeth, giving you a gentle warning that will help you to look after your gums.
Meanwhile, the two-minute sensor splits your brushing into quadrants so that you can give each tooth the right attention. Whilst Oral-B advertises that you can use the Pro 2 brush with their smartphone app, there will really be no benefit to doing so. At best, this will just record the number of times you brush your teeth – for most people, that’s something you don’t need a smartphone app for!
You’ll get a choice of two different brushing modes. Daily Clean is suitable for most users, whilst a Sensitive mode uses slightly smaller movements to protect those with sensitive teeth. Other more expensive brushes offer extra modes like Tongue Cleaner and Whitening, but the two provided with this brush should be enough for day-to-day use.
This is far from being the most high-tech brush on the market, but unless you’re keen on the latest gadgets and gizmos it’s likely to be all you need. This brush is enough to do the job well if you don’t want to fine-tune your experience.
Battery Life
Battery problems are common for Oral-B brushes. The Pro 2 suffers from the same afflictions. You can’t replace the inbuilt battery, and many users find that the battery degrades quite quickly with regular use. Within six months you might notice that the battery starts draining much more quickly, and after a year many users find that they need to charge their brushes almost daily. That won’t be a problem if you’re happy to remember to set your brush back onto its charger but could be frustrating to some.
Fortunately, long-term battery problems are less of a concern with the Pro 2 than other Oral-B electric toothbrushes. This is one of the cheaper models, so perhaps you’ll expect less from it. When the same problem affects a brush that cost £250, it does feel like a much bigger issue. For the low price of the Pro 2, a regular need to put your toothbrush on its charging stand may be something you can live with.
When you first get your brush, and the battery is in top condition, you should expect to get roughly 10-14 days on a full charge. That’s great for an Oral-B brush but is reflective of the fact that the battery is powering a brush that’s low on features. However, a full charge can take up to 16 hours so you may need to charge overnight, and then again once you’ve brushed the next morning.
Price
You can expect to find the Pro 2 in shops for roughly £35. The RRP is around £80, but look out for reduced prices. For an electric toothbrush with all the features you need, designed to clean your teeth effectively, this represents very good value.
Invalid table id.You could spend much more on a high-tech toothbrush, but most people would be wasting their money. Unless you’ll consistently load a smartphone app and read in-depth reports about your brushing habits, the Pro 2 has everything you need.
The Oral-B Pro 2 doesn’t lack the essentials and comes with useful extras like the pressure sensor to help you to brush your teeth well. New toothbrush heads will set you back around £12 per year, and all in all you’re likely to struggle to find better value from a brush.
Using the Oral-B Pro 2 on clear aligners
If you’re using clear aligners to straighten your teeth, the Oral-B Pro 2 is a great option for helping to make sure they stay clean and fresh. Your aligners will need to be cleaned every day to make sure that they don’t start to change colour, and that they’re not damaging your teeth due to trapped bacteria or acid.
Check with your aligner provider on the best way to clean your aligners using an electric toothbrush. Some will recommend that you use a small amount of toothpaste, while others will suggest that it works best using just water. Don’t apply too much pressure either – otherwise you’ll damage both the plastic of the aligners and the bristles of your brush head.
Some aligner manufacturers use a slightly softer plastic and so will advise you not to use an electric toothbrush to clean your aligners. Make sure to follow these instructions, or you could end up stopping your aligner treatment working properly if they no longer fit your teeth correctly.
Final Verdict
The Oral B Pro 2 is a great electric toothbrush that offers good value for money. Though it has its flaws – namely, battery issues that seem to cause trouble for all Oral-B brushes – the price you pay makes these feel like less of an issue.
The Pro 2 has everything most users might need for cleaning their teeth day-to-day. It’s comfortable and easy to hold, with a battery that could last up to two weeks on a full charge when new, and is compatible with all Oral-B toothbrush heads.
Smartphone apps and online reports have crept into so many parts of life. Though you could spend much more on a very fancy toothbrush that microanalyses your dental hygiene, the likelihood is that the Pro 2 electric toothbrush is going to serve you just as well. At a fraction of the price of some other Oral-B brushes, it could be a far better investment.
