Oral-B Pro 2 2000 review

Everything you need at an affordable price

The Pro 2 2000 has the essential, dentist-recommended features you need from an electric toothbrush.  

It is a strong performer that cleans the teeth well. We rate it as the best overall electric toothbrush.

The black variant is the best value because it comes with a travel case included.

Dentist-recommended features are included and perform as expected

Our in-house dentists believe 3 features should be present in a good electric toothbrush. The Pro 2 2000 has them all.

The timer and pacer help you to brush for the right amount of time

Let's face it, it's easy to get distracted when brushing your teeth — there are more interesting things to do. Subsequently, you lose track of how long you’ve brushed for and don’t end up brushing for the dentist-advised 2 minutes. The Pro 2 2000 helps to guard against this. 

The pacer is activated from the moment the brush is powered on, momentarily pausing the brushing action every 30 seconds to tell you to move on to the next part of the mouth. There are 4 sections in total and you need to brush the inner, outer, and biting surfaces of the teeth during this time.

After 2 minutes the alert changes slightly to tell you that you have brushed for long enough. Unlike some brushes, the Pro 2 doesn’t power off automatically. This may be a disappointment to some, but it’s not a big issue. 

Brushing for the full 2 minutes is very important, but just as important, if not more so, is using the right technique. Make sure you learn how to brush your teeth properly — you don’t use an electric brush in the same way you do a manual.

The visible pressure sensor will alert you when you are brushing too hard

Scrubbing the teeth hard and fast doesn’t clean them any better. Long term it will actually damage them.

A pressure sensor built into the Pro 2 detects if you’re brushing too hard. The motor will then slow the brush head and the panel on the back of the handle will illuminate red. This is your alert to relieve the pressure until the light goes out.

You can normally see it out of the corner of your eye, but it’s easier to spot if you brush in front of a mirror.

If you know you have a habit of brushing with too much force, the Pro 2 will help you rectify this.

Cleaning results that make you smile

Oral-B’s oscillating-rotating brush heads are smaller than the sonic style from the likes of Sonicare. They do make it easier to reach the tightest of spaces.

The cleaning action of the Pro 2 feels more aggressive and intense than sonic brushes, which have a lighter and more ticklish sensation. It’s personal preference as to which you prefer, but you do get that invigorating dentist-clean feeling with the Pro 2.

The Pro 2 2000 is supplied with a CrossAction brush head, which effectively disrupts and lifts plaque and debris from the teeth, as confirmed by my plaque disclosing tests. I am more than impressed.

A softer brushing sensation can be achieved by using the softer bristled Sensi UltraThin brush head. It is one of a range of interchangeable Oral-B brush heads compatible with the Pro 2. 

They push on and pull off the handle.

Don’t worry too much about the brush head style, though — your brushing time and technique are more important.

A slim, grippy handle that can be difficult to keep clean

The Pro 2 2000 feels reassuringly secure in the hand.

The combination of a slim-profiled plastic body and the large rubber grip on the front helps your fingers and palm keep a firm hold of it. A series of raised, plastic moldings on the back of the handle further aid with this. 

The slight downside is that the textured rubber surface makes it easier for toothpaste residue to build up. Without regular cleaning, I have found a white coating appears.

The handle is water resistant, so a rinse under the tap is perfectly fine. All the important electronics, including the battery, are sealed inside.

Protruding from the body, the power button is easy for the fingertip to detect. You do need to give it a fairly firm push, so those with dexterity issues might find it a bit more challenging.

The Pro 2 2000 is available in pink, blue or black. Oddly, only the black version comes with a basic but functional travel case that holds the handle and up to 2 heads. The case is surprisingly useful, even if you don’t travel that often.

Philips Sonicare brushes look more refined and premium in my opinion. I don’t think the gloss plastics of the Pro 2 are that appealing when you compare them to the matt finish of Sonicare brushes. The resistive texture makes their handles feel better, too. That being said, they are normally more expensive.

Below average, but a reliable 2 week battery life

3-4 weeks is the typical usage time you can expect from a lot of electric brushes today. The Pro 2 2000 falls a bit short with a claimed life of around 2 weeks. I averaged 16 days in my testing. 

This is certainly satisfactory and far from the worst. But, for a leading brand it’s not unreasonable to expect a bit better.

The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery is sealed inside the handle. An LED on the front does give feedback when the power is low and when charging. You don’t get this with Oral-B’s budget brushes. 

The supplied white charging stand has a 2 pin power adapter hardwired into it, with a cable length of about 90cm. It supports 220-240v.

A protuberance on the stand fits into the recess on the base of the brush handle and takes up to 15 hours to replenish the battery.

2 cleaning modes to suit different preferences, but it defaults to Daily Clean

The brushing modes available on the Pro 2 are:

• Daily clean
• Sensitive

In most instances, you only need daily clean. This will suffice for the vast majority of users.

But, sensitive is a great option for new electric brush users or if you have particularly tender gums. Those with gum disease will also benefit from the slower and less intense movements.

No icons or labels to tell you which mode you’re using

Pressing the power button at any time allows you to switch between the modes.

Unfortunately, there is nothing to confirm which mode you have selected. There are no labels, icons or LEDs on the handle. Instead, you have to learn the order. You will get used to the different sounds and sensations that each offers.

It doesn’t remember the last mode used

Frustratingly, the brush does not remember the last cleaning mode used. This means every time you use the brush, you will need to press the power button twice if you want to use the sensitive mode. 1 press to turn it on and launch daily clean, a second to get to sensitive mode. You can’t change it before turning the brush on.

It’s not a deal breaker nor a reason to avoid the 2000, but something to be aware of.

A must buy – good value for the features and performance

$159 is the retail price for the Pro 2. Don’t pay this.

Oral-B electric toothbrushes typically sell for up to 50% less, thus $80, or thereabouts, is what you should expect to pay.

If you cannot find it for less than $100, you really should consider alternative brushes, such as the ProtectiveClean 4300 from Sonicare and the Smart 4 from Oral-B.

Over 3 years the Pro 2 will cost $157 when factoring in replacement brush heads at $7 each.

This is a competitive and fair price for a brush that has the essential features you need. Price played an important role in us choosing this as the best electric toothbrush.

It’s louder than you might expect

Oral-B brushes are louder than most and the Pro 2 2000 has quite a mechanical noise that registers at 76 decibels. It isn’t like the quieter audible humming sound of sonic brushes that fall into the 60 decibel range.

If you brush your teeth when others tend to be asleep you will need to shut the door.

I wouldn’t discount the Pro 2 as my next toothbrush for this reason alone, though. 

Industry average 2 year warranty included

The Pro 2 boasts a handle design that has been in use for many years — it is tried and tested. 

Whilst nobody can provide complete assurances of reliability, there is little reason to have concern here. The Pro 2 feels solid in hand. I’ve used this and similar brushes for many years without issue.

The most frequent complaint I’ve come across is the rubber grip perishing over years of use. I can’t comment on how common this is, but environmental factors, such as leaving it sitting in water, can have quite an impact.

2 years of manufacturer support is provided as standard and you even have a very impressive 180 day money back guarantee.

Environmental impact

A 2020 life-cycle analysis of electric toothbrushes found that the average brush is 11 times more impactful than a manual toothbrush. 

Whilst we don’t have specific figures for this model, we estimate that the Pro 2 2000 is about average in terms of its impact.  This is because it doesn't have additional, unnecessary extras like Bluetooth or an in handle display.

Oral-B's parent company, P&G, could certainly do more to address the impact of its products.

For more discussion on this and whether to opt for electric or manual, see our article is there such a thing as an eco-friendly electric toothbrush.

Conclusion : you’ll struggle to find something better for less money

A must-buy electric toothbrush. 

The Pro 2000 does so many things just right. There is little to find fault with here.

I like the slim and grippy handle. The 2 week battery life is satisfactory and, most importantly, it does a good job of cleaning your teeth.

Just be sure to pick the black one, which is the only one with a travel case included.