Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum rechargeable electric toothbrush with UV sanitizer, White Edition, HX9172

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Product Specifications

#1 recommended brand by dental professionals
Removes up to 10x more plaque than a manual toothbrush for Philips Sonicare’s deepest clean yet
Deep Clean mode enables you to effortlessly tackle trouble areas, while being gentle on teeth and gums
9 customizable brushing experiences: 3 modes combined with 3 intensity settings to adapt to your brushing needs
Built-in pressure sensor alerts you when brushing too hard

Product Description

Our deepest clean ever. With nine unique brushing options, an intuitive pressure sensor and our most advanced brush head technology, Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum rechargeable toothbrush goes beyond traditional cleaning to deliver up to 10x more plaque removal (vs. A manual toothbrush) for a deep, yet gentle clean. Reach maximum comfort with 3 adjustable intensity levels that can be combined with any of the 3 brushing modes, including the new deep clean mode, to offer you 9 unique brushing options to adapt to your needs. Designed to be simple and intuitive, the advanced pressure sensor automatically alerts you when you are brushing too hard. Flex care platinum includes the Philips Sonicare AdaptiveClean brush head, with conforming bristles that adapt to your teeth and gums for a truly customized clean. Adaptive clean removes up to 10x more plaque than a manual toothbrush for a deep, yet gentle clean. FlexCare Platinum also includes a UV sanitizer that kills up to 99 percent of bacteria and viruses (E.coli, s.mutans, hsvi, h.a.) on your brush head.

Product Reviews

Plat vs. Plus

After some fourteen months using this toothbrush, I have come to have a better opinion of it than I first had.A guy in my sixties now, I have lousy gums and bone loss. A new dentist just decried my “deep pockets” and sent me to a periodontist who is busy cleaning out those pockets (in two senses of the word).So I was hoping that the Platinum toothbrush would clean my teeth and stimulate my gums better than the Plus model had. Sonic toothbrushes with their higher vibration rates trump ordinary oscillating power brushes, which in turn have it all over manual brushes.Otherwise, I had thought my regimen was fairly rigorous – waterpik, antibacterial mouthwash, and sonic toothbrush in the morning, waterpik, mouthwash, flossing, “power flossing” (another Philips gizmo), prodding and poking with a rubber-tipped thingie and a brush that looks like a little Christmas tree, plus sonic toothbrush set to maximum at night. That latter effort takes long enough that I had installed a little TV set in the bathroom to keep me occupied while I went through the whole routine…My hope for better performance was founded on the claim that the Platinum model had three levels of intensity – oh good, this toothbrush goes to eleven! – and perhaps a more powerful massage routine than the Plus model.Yes, Platinum has three selectable levels of intensity, but the top level is no more intense than that of the Plus brush. And though the Platinum’s Deep Clean routine is supposed to include massage, that vibration is so weak that I wasn’t sure it’s really working, as opposed to the discrete – and very noticeable – massage routine on the Plus.In addition, though the Platinum model is attractive, the handle is actually fatter and harder to hold than the Plus handle.Nevertheless, I haven’t had any trouble with the Platinum after fourteen months of use – and that beats the first Flex Plus I had, which died under warranty. Plus my dentist and periodontist haven’t given me any lectures lately about trying harder in my home dental care regimen!So apparently the Platinum is doing what it is supposed to do and thus may outperform the Plus.What else does this Platinum model bring to the table? It has a UV light chamber to eliminate germs from the brushes – you can sanitize two brush heads at one time; the process takes about ten minutes. Users should note that you have to depress the UV light’s rubberized ON button very deeply – at first I thought I had a bad bulb, as I couldn’t get it to light up. This is an ergonomic faux pas in what seems to be a top-of-the-line model.But truth to tell, after using the UV chamber almost every day when I first got this brush, I generally don’t bother sanitizing the brush heads very often any more, and it didn’t seem to cause a problem in my last dental checkups.The Platinum also has a nicer travel case than the Plus, with room for two brush heads, plus a travel charger.And the Platinum comes with two new brush heads, the main improvement of which seems to be a rubber edge around the head to minimize pain or damage if the plastic body of the head comes into contact with your teeth directly. But I believe you can buy these separately and use them on the Plus model as well.In fact, following the old razors-and-blades marketing model, Sonicare seems to have developed a whole line of brush heads vying for your dollars, each intended to excel at a particular function. Unfortunately, I found the array very confusing as described and wish the company would have just developed ONE brush head that does everything well!Sonicare also seems to have ignored a basic tenet of the r&b model – sell the razors cheaply. I’m sorry, but $180 is IMO $80 too much for a sonic toothbrush, even if it is the one dentists seem to recommend most (probably because said dentists get junkets or free samples or whatever).Finally, I have had mixed experiences with the reliability of Sonicare’s power handles. As I said earlier, the first Plus I had conked out within the warranty period. When the company took an unconscionably long time to replace the handle – several weeks and counting – I actually wrote Philips’s CEO a letter. Lo and behold, an entire new Plus unit arrived within days, and that unit gave me several years of service.As the warranty had long expired when that handle finally died, I called the company and asked if they could repair or replace the handle at cost. No dice! Fortunately, I discovered that Amazon sells refurbished Plus power handles for about half the price of a whole new unit (with charger and brushes).At the time I write this, Amazon doesn’t seem to sell a replacement Platinum handle – or if it does, I couldn’t find it on the website.So if you don’t have problem gums – and unless you have some special need for a lower brushing intensity level, like braces or bleeding gums or whatever – you might prefer to save some money with the Plus model, which is also available with a UV brush-cleaning stand.As for the high price of both models, I also hope that Philips will get some more robust competition from Panasonic or Braun or Waterpik or whomever, which could lead to better values for consumers and perhaps more bullet-proof reliability as well.PROS:* Three selectable levels of intensity* Deep cleaning mode* UV light to sanitize brush heads* Nice travel case and chargerCONS:* Brushing intensity no greater than Plus model* Less rigorous massage mode than Plus model* No replacement power handle currently available from Amazon* Uncertain reliability* Very high price* UV light hard to activate* Power handle fatter than Plus handle

The Toothbrush Equivalent of Cute Cat Videos - I Can’t Love it More

I can’t even begin to describe how in love with this toothbrush I am. I never thought I would care so deeply about how well a toothbrush worked until I tried this one. I’d heard others raving about how glorious this product is for a few years, but dismissed their idealization as “ramblings of germaphobes and people with OCD,” but was truly humbled after my first use. This brush makes your teeth feel so squeaky clean, it is like visiting the dentist every morning and night without any of the awkward small talk or draining your HSA. It was a simple set up, easy instructions, easy to use and understand, and leaves your mouth feeling like you’ve never had plaque buildup a day in your life. When you’ve finished brushing and run your tongue along your smooth teeth you’ll think, “Wow! Are these actually polished marble?” There are different brush heads based on preference and different settings based on the clean you’d like to achieve. I’ve been using the whitening setting and can see a difference in color. It’s not significant, but enough to “color me” impressed. I love that it comes with a travel case, and travel charging station. That’s very handy. Took it out of town for the weekend and didn’t have to charge it at all though, so even better. Moral of this review: do it; treat yourself. Get this toothbrush and give your mouth a loving hug.

Great cleaning but probably more bells and whistles than you need

Sonicare toothbrushes are outstanding for thoroughly cleaning your teeth. I’ve been using their DiamondClean model for four years now and have been very pleased with it, so I was happy to have the opportunity to try this Flexcare Platinum model. It definitely holds up to Sonicare standards in terms of cleaning. My teeth feel like they’ve been sandblasted. Of the two brush heads provided, I especially like the InterCare, although that’s partly because the AdaptiveClean brush head is just a little big for me. They both do a good job of getting to every nook and cranny. I don’t really know much about how well the sanitizer works, but I don’t consider it to be that big of a deal. Your toothbrush gets cleaned with the toothpaste every time, and (hopefully) you’re not sharing it with a crackhead, so why would you need to sanitize it? About all the different settings – I think some of them are overkill. I do like being able to set the intensity of the cleaning, but aside from that, I consider the many settings to be superfluous. The travel kit is nice, and like the fact that it’s plastic so you can clean it easily.The biggest caveat I have to offer about Sonicare products is the short lifespan. Definitely register online to get the FREE extended warranty. Chances are high that you’ll need it. Based on my experience with the DiamondClean model, these products do not outlast the warranty by much, if at all. My first DiamondCare died shortly after the warranty had run out (and if I had registered online, I would have been able to get it replaced). I did buy another one 16 months ago, and I have already been through 2 replacements. Sonicare customer service is excellent, and they have not hesitated to replace the toothbrush. However, I think if you pay this much for the product, it should last much longer.

One Star

Unable to use the light after about 5 months of use.

Best toothbrush ever!

My teeth are whiter than ever!! I got this because I had a little discoloring from the rinse that my dentist gave me.

Hands-down the best toothbrush I’ve ever used

Hands-down the best toothbrush I’ve ever used. My dentist knew i was using it before I even said anything. 10 stars!!

Five Stars

Best toothbrush ever.

Worked for 3 weeks. :(

My friends raved about this toothbrush so I decided to give it a try. For the first 3 weeks it worked perfectly. It made my gums stronger and even whitened my teeth a bit.