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Published: 26 May 2023

Oral-B Pro 3000 review

Author: Jon Love (Leave a comment)
Oral-B Pro 3000 review 1

A great brush with the essential features you need

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The Oral-B Pro 3000 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to help themselves achieve clean and healthy teeth. It has the dentist recommended features and not lots of necessary extras. Just watch the price as it varies quite a bit.

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Good cleaning results

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No cleaning mode labels/icons

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2 week battery life

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Travel case included

Consider these other brushes

The Pro 3000 is a solid toothbrush. It is hard to really find much wrong with it.

It boasts a slightly more modern design compared to the Pro 2, which is our top overall choice for most users.

Providing you are not paying anything more than about a $10 premium over the Pro 2 2000, it is worth opting for.

How the Pro 3000 looks, feels and works

The Pro 3000 comes packaged in a fairly typical looking Oral-B box.

Blue in colour it shows a picture of the toothbrush you will be getting inside. Listed on the box are some of the main features you get.

It is nice to see that Oral-B have opted for cardboard inside the box rather than polystyrene that they have used in the past.  It is better for the environment and recyclable at least.  

It is nice to have a travel case included in the box too. This is an appreciated extra.  An additional brush head would have been nice too, but sadly you get just the 1.

The 3000 is designed like most other electric toothbrushes, a tall cylindrical handle. Actually, it is not perfectly round, it is actually slightly thicker, than it is wide, but near enough.

Oral-B Pro 3000 in hand
Image used for illustration purposes. Pro 3000 has white panel not navy.

On top of the handle is where the brush head sits.  Everything is fairly standard. It still feels sold and well built.

Compared to other models, the design is actually a little different.  It has a styling that has not been used before on models available within Australia.

What stands out is the lack of large visible grips on the handle.  Many other Oral-B models have a large rubber grip to help keep a secure hold in hand. Cheaper handles tend to have this on the front, and premium models like the Genius series, on the back.

This is not so with the 3000.

The back of the handle does have a series of small dimples, which do provide a bit of additional grip to the fingertip.  They are quite subtle and run the length of the handle.  They help, but are not quite as tactile and effective as the raised plastic ridges you get on the Pro 2 2000 or Smart 4 4000.

Grip on back of Pro 3000 brush handle

But, there is an oval shaped panel in the upper third of the brush handle that is of a rubber/silicon construction and helps provide some security in hand, it is just a lot less than what I am used to on an Oral-B brush.

This oval shaped panel is in the case of the Pro 3000 ‘Jet White’ in colour. It is actually almost a dusty grey colour.

At the time of writing it is available only in white, but similar brushes in other markets have had this colour with a navy blue or light rose or even black.  It would be nice to have some additional choices.

Within this panel is to the power come function button.

There is a concave shape to the button which means it is easy to detect with the fingertip and in hand the thumb naturally falls to this position.

Printed on the button is a power icon, it is white in colour and stands out nicely from the panel in which it is placed.

Power button on Oral-B Pro 3000
Image used for illustration purposes. Pro 3000 has white panel not navy.

There is a real minimal look to this handle overall. But, there is a battery status LED in the lower third of the handle. The battery LED will flash red when the battery inside the handle is low and it flashes green when being recharged.

The rechargeable lithium battery sealed inside the handle, offers 2 weeks of battery life on a full charge.

Underneath this is an Oral-B and Braun logo that are grey in color.

On the base of the handle is a recess into which the proterbunce on the charging stand fits.  Some regulatory information is printed here too.

The handle does stand upright on a flat surface.

Another small thing to note is on the back of the handle towards the bottom are 2 raised dots.  They look a bit odd or out of place.  But these are quite clever in what they do.  If the brush is laid on a worktop, they reduce the change of the brush rolling around, keeping it face up.

Oral-B Pro 3000 review 11

At the top of the brush handle, just below where the brush head attaches is a clear plastic ring.  It runs around the whole handle.  This is the 360 degree visible pressure sensor.  

If you are not familiar with a pressure sensor, what happens is that when brushing, should the handle detect too much force is being used, it will turn on a light, so the ring is lit red.

As we know, red is often used as a warning color.

The size and position of it should catch your attention.  That said, the light is strongest on the backside of the ring, where the LED is located. It is not a consistently strong ring of red light as you might expect.  I think Oral-B should and could easily fix this.  If it is lit red, you need to reduce the pressure.

Brushing too hard can damage the teeth and gums, so it is best avoided.  This sensor helps reduce the chances of long term damage happening.

It is more useful than you might think, particularly if you are new to electric toothbrushes.  

Most of the time you want to make sure you are not activating this sensor.  

When it is activated, in addition to the red light, you should hear the sound of the motor change.  This is an audible alert, in case you miss the light.

Pressure sensor on Oral-B Pro 3000

Until such time as the pressure is reduced, the motor will also reduce the number of movements and pulsations delivered to the brush head, in an effort to limit any potential damage.  

As a consequence this changes the brushing sensation, which acts as a third alert mechanism.

Once the pressure is relieved, the light will go out, the motor will return to full power for the cleaning mode selected and the sound the brush makes will have changed too.

Extending from the top of the handle is a metal shaft.  

This is connected to the powerful motor inside the handle and is what causes the brush head to oscillate, rotate and pulsate when connected.

Supplied in the box is a single CrossAction brush head.

In fact on the box it is labelled as a CrossAction Rainbow brush head.  I am not sure why the word rainbow is used, but it is related to the CleanMaximizer bristles this particular CrossAction head benefits from.

Basically, this is a new name for fading indicator bristles.  They alert you when you need to replace the brush head.

If you are not already aware, it is important to replace a brush head every 3 months on average, sooner if the bristles are showing obvious signs of wear.

Oral-B Pro 3000 laid on right side
Image used for illustration purposes. Pro 3000 has white panel not navy.

Whilst some heads will look well used after this time, they can almost look as good as new.  But, the tips of the bristles will have become worn during this time as they pass over the teeth and gums.

Using for longer than 3 months can potentially lead to them doing more damage than good and not cleaning the teeth as well.

It is easy to forget when you last replaced the head, so what happens is that over a period of approximately 3 months, the green bristles on the head are dyed yellow to indicate the brush head requires changing.  If you see lots of yellow bristles, replace the head.

The supplied CrossAction head pushes onto that metal shaft and pulls off when you want to remove them.  No twisting or locking into place required.

The small round head does an excellent job of cleaning the teeth.  It is able to reach the back of the mouth and very effectively remove plaque, bacteria and debris off the teeth and from the gumline.

The oscillating and rotating head really does a great job.  After every use my teeth felt lovely and clean.

It moves at up to 8,800 oscillations per minute and delivers up to 40,000 pulsations per minute too (subject to brushing mode selected).

Close up of Oral-B brush head on Pro 3000
Image used for illustration purposes. Pro 3000 has white panel not navy.

To make sure you get the maximum benefit when brushing though you should make sure you are using the correct tooth brushing technique and brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each time.  

The CrossAction head has bristles angled at 16 degrees, which gives it quite a unique look, but also helps make it very effective.

It is one of a range of small round interchangeable brush heads that Oral-B offer for their electric toothbrushes.

Other styles of brush heads, which are compatible with the 3000 include:

  • CrossAction
  • FlossAction
  • 3D White
  • Gum Care
  • Precision Clean
  • Sensitive

CrossAction along with the Gum Care/Sensitive are my top recommendations.  To find out why and learn more about the differences between each, do take a look at our best Oral-B brush head guide.

To actually use the Pro 3000 all you need do is press the power button on the brush handle once and it will launch into the ‘Daily Clean’ cleaning mode.

This is one of 3 modes available on the 3000.

The second mode is called ‘Sensitive’ and the third, ‘Whitening’.

In Oral-B’s words (taken from the manual) this is what each mode is designed for:

  • Daily Clean - Standard mode for daily cleaning
  • Sensitive - Gentle, yet thorough cleaning for sensitive areas
  • Whitening - Exceptional polishing for occasional or everyday use

It is up to you which mode you use.  

Any can be used on a daily basis, if you wish. All will provide a good clean to the teeth and gums, if the brush is used correctly. 

My personal preference is Daily Clean or Sensitive.  

Whitening has limited additional benefit in my opinion.  Yes, the speed and cleaning pattern is different.  But, it is perfectly possible to whiten the teeth with the other cleaning modes

Don’t worry too much about which mode to use, you are best to just pick one and stick with it.  Selecting a different mode is not going to fundamentally change the cleaning results you get.

Our Oral-B cleaning modes article explains each mode and how they differ in a little more detail, should you be keen to learn more.

There is only 1 physical button on the Smart 3000.  This turns the brush on and off and allows you to change between the cleaning modes.

A single press of the power button will turn the brush on.

When the brush is powered on it will default to the daily clean mode.

Oral-B Pro 3000 stood upright
Image used for illustration purposes. Pro 3000 has white panel not navy.

To select the sensitive or whitening mode you have to press the button a further one time for sensitive and two times for whitening.

So, one press to turn the brush on and launch daily clean, a second press to change it to sensitive and a third press for whitening.

A fourth press will turn the brush off.  Or alternatively press and holding the power button for about 2 seconds will also turn it off.

The brush will always default to the daily clean mode, even if the last mode you used was whitening.  You can’t change the cleaning mode before turning the brush on.

Therefore if sensitive mode is your preference, you have to press the power button twice, every time you use it.  

I have to admit this is a bit frustrating, but something that is common amongst the mid-range brushes from Oral-B.

This does not tend to be the case with Sonicare brushes.

When either bruising mode is in use, the built-in timer and pacer are activated too.

The timer and pacer are included to help encourage you and I to brush for the dentist recommended 2 minutes.

This has been found to be the optimum amount of time for achieving clean teeth and gums

During a 2 minute clean the idea is that you spend 30 seconds cleaning each section (quadrant) of the mouth.

Those 4 sections are, upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left.

At the 30 second intervals, the brush will provide an audible warning via a slight pause in the brush motor.  You will also notice a change in the brushing sensation too. This is your cue to change quadrant. 

Once the 2 minutes are up, 3 brief pauses in the brush motor will be heard and felt.  The brush will continue to run at the end of the 2 minutes, you then need to turn it off, it will not do this automatically.

This timer and pacer are what I consider essential to a good electric toothbrush and can make a significant difference to the way we brush and ultimately our long term oral health.

As you might expect, the Pro 3000 toothbrush handle is waterproof. 

Whilst Oral-B does not specifically state in the manual not to use it when bathing, it should be fine to use in the shower, but do avoid submerging it in the bath for example.  A rinse under the tap etc is fine too.  

Do be sure to keep the charging stand away from water.

I mentioned the 3000 comes with a travel case.  White in colour it if fairly basic, but perfectly functional. 

Hinged on the left side it opens like a book and clips shut.  It holds the handle and up to 2 brush heads.  It gives adequate protection from damage when in a bag or suitcase and also protects accidental activation.

The 3000 is a really lovely electric toothbrush and it is a great option for both new and experienced electric toothbrush owners.  However, it might not be for everyone.  And for this reason Oral-B offers a 180 day money back guarantee that you can take advantage of if you are not happy for any reason.  

If you keep the brush, which I suspect you will, it is then supported by a 2 year warranty, should something, unfortunately, go wrong.

Summary of design, usability, clean & general use

All white plastic body
Not as much grip as some other models
Small oval rubber panel sound power button provides colour accent and in hand grip
Solid and well built
3 cleaning modes (daily clean, sensitive & whitening
Does not remember the cleaning mode last used
Built-in pressure sensor including 360 degree visible sensor
Built-in 2 minute timer and 30 second pacer
1 x CrossAction brush head supplied
Other brush head styles available seperately
Rechargeable battery built-in
Lithium battery offers 2 weeks of battery life
Travel case provided
Waterproof
180 day money back guarantee
2 year warranty

Battery life

Sealed inside the handle of the Pro 3000  from Oral-B is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery.

This battery is not user-replaceable and is recharged via the supplied charging stand.

Oral-B suggests a usage time of 2 weeks on a full charge.

Based on a 2 minute clean, I was able to complete 40 brushing sessions on a full charge. This is equivalent to 20 days of use.

In fairness to Oral-B, this is nearly 3 weeks, a week longer than suggested.

Now, in all honesty, by about day 19 the motor was beginning to slow and the cleaning power was quite weak and noticeably not as good.  But it is safe to say that you will get at least 2 weeks out of the brush.

Overall I am pleased with this.

Battery icon and logo of Oral-B 3000

I ran my battery test on the standard daily clean mode.  It is possible that an extra day may well be achieved if you use the sensitive mode.

It does not quite perform as well as the likes of the Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100, which is a potential alternative to the 3000.  That actually lasts up to 5 weeks on a full charge.

Your opinion may well be different, but typically I wish for the battery to last at least 2 weeks on a full charge.  

This is because it gives the flexibility to go away for a few days or even a couple of weeks on business or for a vacation, without having to worry about taking a charger with you.  As you can tell the 3000 allows just this.

Provided in the box with the 3000 is a standard Oral-B charging stand.

The white colored stand is a little thicker and wider than the handle itself and has a protuberance on the top, which aligns with a recess found in the base of the Pro 3000’s handle.

This charger has a 2 pin AU power cable that will connect to a power socket found and works on 220-240v.  The power cord is approx 3 ft/36 inches in length.

Connect the adapter to the outlet on the wall, sit the 3000 on the stand and it will begin charging.

It can take up to 12 hours to charge the brush fully.

When on the stand, the battery status indicator on the front of the brush handle will flash green.

If the battery is completely flat it can take up to 30 minutes or so for it to begin flashing.

Once fully charged, the light will stop flashing and turn itself out.

Oral-B Pro 3000 being placed on charging stand

Electronic circuits in the charger and toothbrush prevent the battery from being overcharged.  So, if the brush is left on the charger for extended periods of time, you don’t need to worry.

When in use, the battery icon will flash red if the battery is getting low.

You should still be able to complete a couple of brushing sessions, even when the battery is low, before it runs out completely.  However, as the power decreases the brush head movements may reduce too.  

For those who do travel, the provided charging stand supports 220-240v.  This means that should you need to take the charging stand with you, you may need a voltage and plug adapter too, subject to where you are travelling.  This would be the case if you were going to the USA for example.

Summary of battery life

Claimed battery life of 2 weeks
Achieved a maximum of 20 days in my hands-on testing
Supplied with a charging stand
Takes up to 12 hours to charge fully
Flashing green LED when the battery is charging
Flashing green LED will stop when the battery is fully recharged
Flashing red LED when the battery is low
Can be left on the stand
Stand supports 220-240v
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery sealed inside

Price & where to buy

The recommended retail price of the Pro 3000 is $189.99.

This is quite expensive and I wouldn’t generally recommend you pay this much for a brush unless you really need or want a top of the link model, which this is not.

Whilst prices are always subject to change, as a general rule you can purchase an Oral-B toothbrush for up to 50% less than retail.

This means it can be as low as $95 but typically it should be somewhere between this and approximately $110.

At the time of review it is selling via a large retailer in Australia for $100.

At prices over $110 I would encourage you to consider the possible alternative as you will likely find something that works out a bit better value.

This brush like every other requires replacement brush heads for each user every 3 months.  Replacement heads can be purchased in packs of varying size, but typically you are going to be looking at an average price of $7 per replacement brush head.

Oral-B Pro 3000 & travel case

We like to price a brush over 3 years here at Electric Teeth, to give a little bit of a benchmark to compare products and give you an idea of what ownership costs might look like.

As only 1 brush head comes in the box, you will need another 11 over 3 years, totalling approximately $77.

Using the purchase price of $100 and the total cost is $177 or $0.16 per day.

This price does exclude the cost of water, toothpaste and electricity to charge it. This also assumes one user as well as some other assumptions, but you get a rough idea.

You can bring the cost down further if you were to share it with other members of your household.  All you need do is invest in extra brush heads.

If you did decide to pay the full retail price (please don’t), that cost would increase to $267 or $0.24 per day.

Ultimately it is only worth what you are prepared to pay for it.  In my opinion, it is a pretty good investment.

The Pro 2 2000 does work out a little bit cheaper overall at just $0.14 per day.  That is a saving of approx $20 over 3 years.

Both are great brushes though.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and should be used only as a guide during your decision process.

Summary of price & where to buy

Recommended retail price of $189.99
Typically sells with a 40-50% discount
An average selling price of around $100
Replacement brush heads cost $7 each on average
Works out at $0.16 per day over 3 years
Comparably priced to the competition

My thoughts on reliability and repairability

The fundamental technology that Oral-B uses to power this toothbrush and provide the great clean is no different to most of the brushes the company offers.

The handle design of the Pro 3000 is slightly different though.

It has the classic cylindrical shape, but the plastic body of the handle and the 360 degree pressure sensor is a new combination.

The 360 degree sensor has been made available on premium Oral-B toothbrushes such as the Genius 9000, but the very minimal handle design is a little different to what has been available previously.

Having used this brush for a couple of weeks and analysed it, I have no immediate cause for concern.

Oral-B has a good reputation for build and durability and I have little reason to doubt that here.

Should the worst happen and it fails in some way, you have a 2 year manufacturer warranty and that is on top of the very impressive 180 money back guarantee, which allows you to return it, even if it's not faulty!

Sustainability

Dr. Gemma Wheeler has looked in detail at the environmental impact of electric toothbrushes. Our guide to eco-friendly dental health offers advice on steps you can take to reduce your own impact.

With regards to the Pro 3000 specifically; it has a limited box contents which reduces its weight during transportation compared to others that come with more items in the box.

The lack of rubber or silicone on the brush handle, in preference for an all plastic chassis helps ensure longevity.

It is not a smart brush, which reduces the total number of components used and means not as much waste is created when the brush no longer works.

Oral-B has not designed the 3000 to be easily repaired by yourself. Trying to replace parts like the battery will likely break the brush. This makes it more likely to be discarded rather than repaired if broken.

While Oral-B has partnered with schemes such as TerraCycle in some countries, it does not yet have its own recycling scheme for used brush heads or faulty products.

Its brush heads are made from petroleum-based plastic, which uses up the planet’s finite resources compared to using plant-based plastics.

Summary of reliability, long term use & sustainability

Oral-B has extensive expereince in the dental care market
Established warranty & support networks
Comes with a 2 year warranty
Toothbrush feels solid in the hand
A minimal box contents reduces the overall weight of the package
All plastic chasis increases longevity
Not designed to be easily repaired
No own schemes to recycle brush heads or faulty products
Plastics of the handle & head made from petroleum-based plastic

Conclusion

The Pro 3000 is a brush I have confidence in recommending.

It is marginally more expensive than the Pro 2 2000 from Oral-B, but you do gain an extra brushing mode and a larger pressure sensor.

The 3000 offers the most essential features of an electric brush and not lots of unwanted and unnecessary additional extras.

Of course, it cleans the teeth well and the choice of cleaning modes means it suits a variety of users.

It might well be more expensive than a manual toothbrush, and more expensive than the most basic electric brush, but it is a good solid option.

Size guide

  • Toothbrush height with head - 23.2cm / 9.1 inches
  • Toothbrush height without head - 19.5cm / 7.7 inches
  • Width - 2.5cm / 1 inches
  • Depth/thickness - 2.9cm / 1 inches
  • Weight with head - 124g / 4.4oz
  • Weight without head - 119g / 4.2oz
  • Travel case size - 20cm / 7.9 inches (L) x 6cm / 2.4 inches (W) x 3.2cm / 1.3 inches (D)
  • Travel case weight - 64g / 2.3oz without brush or 188g / 6.6oz with brush
  • Package weight - 540g / 19oz

Noise

  • 73dB

Country of manufacture

  • Germany
Author: Jon Love

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