Color Schemes

In terms of color, the Oral-B 1000 offers potential buyers two different color choices. You can either go with the standard white and light-blue color scheme or the newer offering of white and black.

The Oral-B 3000 on the other hand can only be gotten in one color scheme: white and dark-blue.

Several users report that the white and blue Oral-B 1000 model is the preferred option, as toothpaste marks and other smudges are clearly more visible on the white and black model than on the white and blue model.

Handle Design

Oral B 1000

The handle of both toothbrushes are very similar and offer a very simple, slim and yet elegant design. The white part of the handle is constructed from high quality plastic, while the blue-colored center is made of rubber. This rubbery surface is actually quite sticky and ensures users keep a firm grip on the handle while brushing.

The front of the handle features a power button for turning the toothbrush on or off. The bottom half of the handle also features two indicators: one for charging, and the other for low battery warning.

Toothbrush Heads

At the top of the handle of either toothbrush, there is a metal shaft. This shaft serves as the point of attachment of the toothbrush head to the handle. The toothbrush head can be easily attached and removed when needed.

When purchasing either the Oral-B 1000 or 3000, only one toothbrush head is included in the product packaging. For the 3000, it is the Cross Action brush head. For the 1000, it could either be the Cross Action or the Deep Sweep brush heads, depending on the buyer’s preference. The Cross Action and Deep Sweep brush heads are categorized under Oral-B’s regular cleaning brushes. The Cross Action is by far the most popular brush head. It consists of bristles crisscrossing one another at an angle of 16 degrees to ensure effective plaque removal from between your teeth and along your gums. The Deep Sweep brush head features 7 separate sets of bristles. The first, third and fifth set of bristles are designed to swivel sideways while brushing to effectively clean your dental cavity.

However, the bristles of the Cross Action brush head are relatively coarse and can be quite abrasive on sensitive gums. Long-time users of the Oral-B brushes feel the Deep Sweep brush head is quite larger than other Oral-B brush heads. Other users might want a brush head specially designed for braces. Oral-B solves all these complaints and issues by making the handle of both the 1000 and 3000 toothbrushes compatible with several types of brush heads, so as to suit the varying needs and preferences of their users. It should be noted that these other Oral-B brush heads would have to be purchased separately, as they do not come with the toothbrushes.

Oral-B advises its customers to always replace their brush heads every 3 months. To help users know exactly when this replacement period arrives, indicator bristles are designed into the brush heads. These bristles begin to fade after each use and would be virtually leached of their color at the 3-month mark.

Oscillations and Pulses

Any brush head attached to the handle of either the Oral-B 1000 or 3000 oscillates and pulsates for effective cleaning. Oscillation involves the movement of the bristles in a back and forth manner while the pulsing movement connotes vibration.

The Oral-B Pro 1000 is capable of producing 8,000 oscillations and 20,000 pulses in just one minute. The 3000 performs even better as its more powerful motor provides 8,800 oscillations and 40,000 pulses per minute.

Brushing Modes

Oral B 3000

This is another area in which the Oral-B 3000 shows a superior edge to the 1000. While the Oral-B 1000 comes with just one brushing mode, the 3000 is equipped with three modes. Unlike the Oral-B 1000 where users access the Daily Clean mode available on the toothbrush immediately the power button is pressed, owners of the Oral-B 3000 have to press the power button every time they want to access a different brushing mode. These modes include the normal Daily Clean mode for regular, standard and powerful brushing, the Sensitive mode for a gentler brushing, and the Gum Care mode for massaging the gums.

A large percentage of users claim to mostly make use of the regular Daily Clean mode while those with sensitive teeth claimed the Sensitive mode was quite helpful. Very few consumers saw the importance of the Gum Care mode.

Pressure Sensor

While brushing, one tends to apply more than the required pressure and this could end up damaging your gums and teeth. The Oral-B toothbrushes take this fact into cognizance and are designed with in-built pressure sensors. However, the pressure sensor of the Oral-B 1000 is not visible but its effect can be felt. Once the sensor detects an abnormally high pressure, the toothbrush reduces the pulsations of the brush head.

On the other hand, the Oral-B 3000 has a visible pressure sensor indicator light located at the neck of the handle. Once too much pressure is detected, pulsation speed is reduced, the red indicator light flashes on, signaling users to reduce the applied pressure.

Click here to get more details on the Oral B 1000

Click here to get more details on the Oral B 3000

Charging and Battery

Both Oral-B toothbrushes come packaged with their chargers and must first be charged before use. The base of the handle has a small space designed to fit snugly on the charger pin. On affixing the handle to the charger, the charger indicator light on the handle comes on and is green in color. Once the toothbrush is fully charged, the indicator light goes off.

Both toothbrushes are equipped with a nickel-cadmium battery that is capable of lasting through 7 days of use once fully charged. Once the charge is exhausted and the battery is about to die, the red battery indicator light comes on. A significant number of users criticized the lack of an indicator signaling how much battery life is left while the toothbrush is being used, rather than the low battery indicator light that only comes on when the battery is about to die.

Oral-B advises its customers to let the battery die completely once in every six months to prolong its life span.

Built-In Timer

Both toothbrushes are designed with an in-built timer that helps users spend the recommended amount of time in brushing their teeth. The timer assumes the mouth has four sections or quadrants: the right and left halves of the upper teeth and the right and left parts of the lower teeth. After the first 30 seconds of brushing the first quadrant, the toothbrush pauses, signaling users to move onto the next quadrant. It repeats the sequence for the remaining quadrants then pulses three times to signal the end of the brushing session.

Brush Head Holder

Unlike the Oral-B 1000, the 3000 comes with a brush head holder for storing about 4 brush heads. This comes in handy if more than one individual is using the toothbrush and each person has his or her own brush head. The holder is designed with ventilation holes to ensure the bristles dry properly after each brushing session.

Pros and Cons of the Oral-B 1000

Pros

• Portable
• Waterproof
• Cleans effectively

Cons

• Lacks a battery level indicator
• One brushing mode

Pros and Cons of the Oral-B 3000

Pros

• Comes with a dishwasher-safe brush head holder
• Double cleaning power
• Three brushing modes
• Waterproof
• Portable

Cons

• Lacks a battery level indicator