Updated 26 Mar 2018
Oral-B
Smart 4 4000
Snapshot: The Oral-B Smart 4 4000 electric toothbrush has a pulsating and oscillating-rotating brush action. How well does it clean teeth?
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Test results
Overall score
Performance
Battery recharge
Battery rundown
Ease of use
Good points
- Very good at removing plaque.
- Easy to use.
- Very easy to attach and remove brush head.
- Low battery indicator.
- Timer.
- 30-second alert when you should move to another section of your mouth.
- Pressure indicator.
- 3 speed settings.
- Smartphone compatible.
- Good instructions.
But
- Extremely slow at recharging battery (21 hours).
- Poor at keeping battery charge.
- No travel case.
How we test
Performance 70% of overall score
Each toothbrush is tested by 20 people to see how well it removes plaque. To measure plaque levels, teeth are dyed with a solution and a dental hygienist measures the amount of plaque on the inside and outside of every tooth. The triallist then brushes their teeth for 2 minutes and the hygienist measures how much plaque is left. This sequence is repeated over several weeks.
Battery 15% of overall score
We see how many 2-minute brushes a fully charged battery gives. We leave a 12-hour gap between each brush, just like you would when you’re brushing twice a day. We also assess at how long it takes for a flat battery to fully recharge.
Ease of use 15% of overall score
For ease of use our 20 triallists consider how comfortable each brush is to use and hold, how easy it is to attach and remove the brush head, and recharge the brush, and how comprehensive the instructions are.
