Q&A: Sonicare Electric Toothbrush with a Gum Setting?

This modern age of invention is great for a lot of things, but simplifying the toothbrush purchase process is not one of them. I know people have been trying to figure out which of Sonicare’s electric toothbrush models has a gum (“Gum Care” or “Massage”) setting, so here you go:

The Sonicare DiamondClean

Philips Sonicare DiamondClean: Bringing the Sexy Back

Top of the Sonicare line with the fancy accessories and high-end price tag to prove it
Settings include Clean, Gum Care, Polish (quick mode), Sensitive, White (whitening)
Uses new
DiamondClean brush heads,

but is compatible with the

ProResults brush heads

used by Sonicare’s other models

Read my complete Sonicare DiamondClean review for more information. Otherwise,

check Amazon.com

and see what they have to say.

The Sonicare FlexCare R910

Similar to the DiamondClean in terms of raw cleaning power, but lacking the sleek design or fancy accessories

Settings include Clean, Sensitive, and Massage. Also includes “routines” — essentially, settings that let you set the duration (GoCare for one minute and MaxCare for three) of the brushing session
Also available: the Sonicare FlexCare RS930 (identical brush, more accessories)

If you want to know more about the Sonicare Flexcare R910, you can read my review or

have a look at Amazon.com.

The FlexCare Plus

Settings include Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive, and Massage.Gum Care is two minutes of regular brushing followed by an extra minute of gentle cleaning along the gum line.Massage is two minutes of gentle gum stimulation.
Otherwise, very similar brush to the FlexCare R910. Setting names are different, but the results are essentially the same.

Because this brush is so similar to the FlexCare R910, I haven’t reviewed it separately (at least not yet.) Instead,

learn more about the product at Amazon.com.

The Sonicare FlexCare Platinum

Toothbrush Reviews - Sonicare FlexCare Platinum

This brush is new, new to the point that I don’t even have a review written yet.
Superficially, it appears to be a reskinned FlexCare brush with a default
DiamondClean brush head.
Includes a pressure sensor to warn if you’re brushing too hard (unusual for Sonicare brushes).
Settings include Clean (low intensity, medium intensity, high intensity), White (low intensity, medium intensity, high intensity) and Gum Care (low intensity, medium intensity, high intensity). The first brush in the Sonicare line to let you toggle White and Gum Care strength.

As I said before, this brush is so new, I don’t have a formal review completed of it yet. Instead,

learn more about the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum on Amazon.com

And the winner is…

Hopefully this list will have given you a solid sense of what gum health-savvy brushes are available from the Sonicare line, but if you’re looking for a winner, here’s what I think:

The line between the FlexCare R910’s “MaxCare” (a three minute session, with two for teeth and one for gums) and FlexCare Plus’s “Gum Care” (essentially the same thing) is slight to the point of being non-existent. If you’re not worried about sensitive teeth and don’t care about style or nifty accessories, I’d take the cheaper of those two models.

But the FlexCare Platinum is very tempting. Being able to toggle the strength of your Gum Care routine is a useful feature, and the little sensor that monitors if you’re brushing too hard will help to keep your gums intact. If you don’t care for the (better but admittedly more expensive) DiamondClean brushes, you can always buy ProResults brush heads instead.

Check the prices for all three brushes and ensure you’re getting the accessories and the settings you want, but based exclusively on gum care I think I’m giving this one to FlexCare Platinum.

Buy it on Amazon.

One Reply to “Q&A: Sonicare Electric Toothbrush with a Gum Setting?”

Teddy says:

June 1, 2014 at 3:51 am

The differences in Gum Mode settings are so minor that I would just go with the brush I like the most and can afford. So probably I would get the Sonicare DiamondClean.