As we publish guides on how to repair electric toothbrushes we are often asked – when buying a new electric toothbrush, which models will be easiest to repair or replace the battery in when the battery eventually stops holding a full charge? Below are some factors to consider, followed by a link to our friends at Electric Teeth.
Total Cost of Ownership
As well as the one-off initial cost of buying your electric toothbrush, there is the ongoing cost of replacing the head every 3 months. We would go for an Oral-B (Braun) rather than a Philips Sonicare toothbrush due to the fact that genuine replacement toothbrush heads are available more cheaply and this is the main ongoing cost with electric toothbrushes. The brush heads are usually on special offer in at least one of the big UK supermarkets at any given time, and are often half price in Superdrug too. The only exception to this are the Oral-B iO toothbrushes which take special heads that can cost £15 each!
Once the internal rechargeable battery of your toothbrush is worn out and only holds enough charge for 1-2 days use it can be replaced by following one of our battery replacement guides.
Too Much Choice
There is far too much choice when it comes to picking a new electric toothbrush. Each manufacturer has many versions and colours of the same handle and/or internals which they package up with different combinations of heads and/or accessories and then sell as a different ‘model’. Hopefully in the buying guide below you can sift through the variations.
Current Models
For the latest comparison and ratings of the electric toothbrushes currently on the market, please take a look at the guide to the best electric toothbrush by our friends at Electric Teeth, who offer comprehensive reviews and comparisons of every electric toothbrush on the market!
Don’t forget that if you don’t have a 2-pin shaver socket in your bathroom to plug the charger into you will also need to buy a shaver adaptor plug, which plugs into a standard 3-pin UK/Ireland mains wall socket and has a fused 2-pin socket on the back of it to plug your charger into. Beware of unfused ones which are dangerous and do not meet UK/Irish electrical safety standards.
I am trying to get information on repairing an Oral-B 4736.
The Type 4736 is very similar to the Type 3728, for which we have a repair guide here.
I have a Colgate Omron toothbrush, the model with 3 separate operation modes. The Ni-MH battery is dying after just 6 days following charging. Is the battery replaceable? It doesn’t look as though the body can be dismantled.
Regards, John
Hi John,
Yes most of the Colgate Omron brushes can be repaired by replacing the battery. Which model number is yours? It should be marked on the handle – something like C200 or A1500.
There is no model number on the handle but it is the A1500 ProClinical. Do you have a set of DIY instructions to match this model?
Regards, John
We don’t have instructions for the A1500 but I believe that you can open it at the bottom. On Colgate toothbrushes there is usually a screw at the bottom to undo, possibly under a cover. The battery for these brushes is available in our secure online shop here.
Can Braun Oral-B rechargeable toothbrushes be commercially rebuilt? Is anyone doing it? I would be glad to pay to exchange mine for a rebuilt one with a new battery- unless the cost would be prohibitive. A lot better than throwing the old one away and buying a new one.
You can certainly send your own toothbrush to be rebuilt with a new battery. Check out the toothbrush repair services here.
I have a Braun Genius OralB electric tooth brush and it’s not charging. Battery charger lights work but I believe the problem lies with the tooth brush. Can I send this to the manufacturer for repair or is there a repair shop that could help? I bought the tooth brush about a year ago. So frustrated!!
If your brush is still within its 1-2 year guarantee period you can contact the shop where you bought it for repair under warranty.
This is an easy-to-read article. Very handy – l’m going to print it for when my e-toothbrush breaks!