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 is our current answer to this question, as of this year.
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 brush 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.
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 which they package up with different combinations of heads and/or accessories and then sell as a different ‘model’. Oral B do this the most. Hopefully below we can pick out the main choices for you.
Current Models
There are a many currently available Braun Oral-B models. Type numbers are generally not visible on packaging apart from misleading ones and the labelling system can be confusing so go by the name printed on the box.
- Vitality models: These models do not have the third “dimension” of tooth cleaning i.e. vibrating the head back and forth in the direction the bristles point. Straightforward to replace the battery with easy soldering once you get the handle open, which can be slightly more difficult with the new design. This is Oral-B’s cheapest model but the long-term savings are negligible.
- The Pro 2 also labelled as PRO 2000: These are Oral-B’s mid-range models. They have one button on the handle to power on and switch between fast and slow speeds. The pressure sensor light is useful for both new and experienced users. They are the most compact toothbrush but the battery can still be replaced. Needs fine soldering. Available new on eBay here.
- Genius, iO and Smart 6: Most expensive, with lots of modes and features that might be unnecessary. Battery can be replaced once it is depleted. Needs fine soldering.
- Triumph v2 models labelled as ‘SmartSeries’ 6000, 6500, 7000: These have two buttons on the handle. Easiest brushes to change the battery on. Extra brushing modes and bells & whistles if required. Sometimes labelled as a 5000 (with 2 buttons) but not to be confused with the 1 button version labelled as a 4000 or 5000 which is different. Still available new from eBay here and from Amazon here.
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 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 current 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.