It’s not uncommon to start a new season feeling like your teeth could use a little extra care. After a summer of slushies and ice cream, or a December full of cakes and chocolates, it’s easy to wake up one day and realize that you haven’t flossed in weeks. Thankfully, the Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7300 Electric Toothbrush is just what the dentist ordered for your dental hygiene.
Electric toothbrushes are excellent for continuous care, but they aren’t all made equal. When I purchased my first electric toothbrush, I tried my partner’s first. It had a rotating head, and I hated it. The experience made me feel like my whole jaw was about to fly off, and when I was done, my teeth felt clean—but not exceptionally clean.
Instead, I went with a Sonicare, and I’ve stuck with the brand ever since. (Full disclosure, the only reason I picked the toothbrush that I did was that it was on an excellent sale.) Sonicare technology was patented in 1992, and goes a step beyond normal brushing. Instead of just emphasizing your own brushing motions, the sonic vibrations in a Sonicare toothbrush are said to clean beyond where the toothbrush touches. Buzzing away at Middle C (261.63 Hz) at a rate of up to 31,000 brushes per minute, the Philips Sonicare lineup of toothbrushes dislodges plaque from under your gums, too.
What’s in the Box of the Philips Sonicare ExpertClean?
Like any Philips Sonicare toothbrush, the ExpertClean gives you everything you’ll need—right in the box (except toothpaste)!
The Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7300 comes with a toothbrush handle, two different heads (one Philips C3 Premium Plaque Control brush head and one Philips Premium Gum Care brush head), a travel case, a charger, and two hygienic toothbrush caps. The ExpertClean is the same shape as most Sonicare toothbrushes, but comes in a really luxe, matte black finish. It feels sleeker than my previous toothbrush, and more expensive.
As someone who travels as frequently as possible, I really appreciate the fact that Philips includes a travel case in most of their toothbrushes. However, I rarely use it. Instead, I pack my toothbrush and a separate head with a hygienic cap; it puts me at a slightly higher risk of damaging my toothbrush, but I don’t mind. I end up saving a good deal of space in my one piece of carry-on luggage, and just remember to pack carefully around the toothbrush instead.
The ExpertClean is waterproof, with a 14-day battery and a limited 2-year warranty. It charges by being placed gently on its base, or any other modern Sonicare base—I loathe to have two identical chargers kicking around, so I charge this on a base from a whitening Philips toothbrush and it works just fine.
How to Use Your Philips Sonicare ExpertClean
Like any Sonicare toothbrush, the Philips Sonicare 7300 ExpertClean Electric Toothbrush cleans via two modalities: manual tooth scrubbing, like any other toothbrush, and sonic vibrations. The fast vibrations of a Sonicare toothbrush clean a little deeper than the alternatives, essentially creating little currents in your water and toothpaste to clean below your gums.
Because of this, Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are intended to be used in more of a dragging motion. The brand recommends that you don’t scrub: instead, apply light pressure and wiggle the brush around your teeth and gums at a 45Ëš angle.
The ExpertClean pairs with the Philips Sonicare app via Bluetooth, but I chose not to pair my toothbrush to my phone. My reasoning was simple: while I bet I’d love seeing a map of where to brush and when, the app insists on being granted constant, unrestricted access to my location. Like, at all times. It will not run without it. I can’t even preview the app without giving Philips my data.
Philips says that this is simply to locate your toothbrush when it’s nearby (what, like it’s going to go get it for you?!) but I don’t buy it. 100% of my other smart devices pair just fine with my phone without being allowed access to my location, and even if it was pinpointing your toothbrush in relation to your smartphone, that doesn’t make sense. GPS is imprecise—even using a US-military-grade satellite service, you’re unlikely to get more precise than 4 metres of accuracy. You’d use Bluetooth for that kind of pairing, not location services. I mean, you can even open Google Maps with your location tracking turned off—but not the Philips Sonicare app.
The Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7300 Features that Set It Apart
The Sonicare ExpertClean is different from other Sonicare models in more than just its privacy requirements (or lack thereof). It’s one of their most expensive toothbrushes, and offers extra features compared to more basic models. Its pressure sensor makes sure that you’re not pressing too hard (sonic brushes really do work better with less pressure), and offers three brushing modes with three intensity settings each. You can select clean, gum health, and deep clean. It also pairs with a Sonicare app, which is pretty unique—it’ll show you where to brush and for how long, which helps alongside rhythmic buzzing in the brush itself to let you know when to move on.
My last Philips toothbrush emphasized a whitening feature that I never use, so gum health is a big step up. I brush frequently and thoroughly, and as a result, plaque is rarely an issue. However, my family is predisposed to gum recession at an early age. (We have terrible teeth in general. It’s a constant source of my anxiety). I treasure dearly any product that can help me care for my gums in a gentle manner, and that includes the 7300 ExpertClean. The pressure sensor in this brush makes a world of difference for my brushing habits—it makes the brush rhythmically pulse when you’re pressing too hard, and even though I thought I was a gentle scrubber, I find that I have to loosen my grip on my toothbrush frequently throughout a brushing session.
Seriously. This Sonicare retails for about $50 more than my last one, and it’s worth the upgrade for that feature alone. Gums are not something to mess around with!
Do I Still Have to Floss?
Sadly … Yes. Even though the Philips Sonicare ExpertClean cleans under your gums, it still won’t get you as clean as the Sonicare plus flossing will.
As per my dentist’s recommendations, I have to recommend that you both brush and floss your teeth. But I’m not a dentist, and I can be lazy—and I always find that a Sonicare on its own is better than brushing with a manual toothbrush and flossing.
Did you catch that odd little bit of bartering?
Sonicare + flossing > Sonicare alone > Manual toothbrush + flossing > Manual toothbrush
I bought my first Sonicare about three months before a cleaning. When I went in, my dental hygienist (Marguerite!) noted that my teeth seemed cleaner than ever before—even though I had gone down from flossing every single day to flossing just once a week. I still find a little bit of plaque between some of my teeth even after flossing, though, so it’s a good idea to carry on as usual.
For those who really want to double down on their dental health, however, consider levelling up even further. A water flosser would pair perfectly with your new toothbrush!
Finally… Remember to Consider Those Heads!
The one complaint that I have about electric toothbrushes is the price. While some of the toothbrushes can be affordable, especially if you can nab one on sale, the heads kill. Your old brush will indicate that it’s time for replacement by fading and splaying, and a newer model like the ExpertClean will come equipped with Brushsync to alert you through the handle.
Whenever that time comes, however, be aware that replacement heads can be pricey. They tend to be sold in two-packs and it’s (sadly) worth sticking to the name brand if you’re worried about your oral health. I’ve tried alternatives, and though they’re still leagues better than a manual toothbrush, none of them seem to be as gentle or effective as name-brand Philips Sonicare replacement toothbrush heads.
Despite the price, Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are the real deal. My teeth feel cleaner with regular use, I’m not as stressed about flossing every single night, and my dentist noticed big-time when I made the switch. As an investment in my oral health, I love electric toothbrushes—and as someone who likes the sleek black frame and gentle gum massaging abilities of the ExpertClean, I can’t recommend this one enough.
Shop the Philips Sonicare ExpertClean Electric Toothbrush online at Best Buy.
