Oral-B Smart 2000 Review

Design, usability, clean & general use

The Smart 2000 has a blue coloured outer cardboard box shows a picture of the toothbrush you will be getting inside. Listed on the box are some of the main features of this brush.  Interestingly, there is no mention of the cleaning modes available.

Disappointingly Oral-B opted to use a polystyrene inner tray to the box, rather than the more environmentally friendly cardboard inners that some other models have begun shipping with.

The actual box contents is minimal, supplying just what you need and nothing extra.

This is both a positive and a negative.  I like it because it means you and I are not left with items we won’t actually use.  

But, the downside is that a little extra added value.  I would have welcomed a second brush head or a travel case. I think most of us would make good use of these.

By no means a deal breaker, I think the travel case would have been a particular bonus and clinched this as a must buy for many people.  Many of us do spend nights away where we need to take our toothbrush. Without it, we have to buy or find some other solution to protect the head and handle from damage when in our travel bags.

I want to make it clear from the start, that despite being named ‘smart’ there are no smart features to this brush.

Don’t get me wrong there is some valuable technology built-in.  But, typically the word ‘smart’ is associated with Bluetooth enabled toothbrushes (as explained here) or those handles that really offer some groundbreaking technology.  The 2000 does not.

This is particularly confusing when you consider that there are other toothbrushes in the Oral-B range that are named ‘SmartSeries’ and do offer Bluetooth technology.

As clever as some of the Bluetooth technology and associated smart features are.  You don’t need them. Few actually continue to use them months after getting their new toothbrush.

The 2000 is designed like most other electric toothbrushes, a tall cylindrical handle. Actually, it is not perfectly round, it is slightly thicker, than it is wide, but near enough.

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

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

What stands out is the lack of 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 Smart 2000.

There are no large rubber grips.  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 1000 or Pro 3000.

This lack of grips makes the handle look slightly more stylish, minimal and cleaner.  It is also easier to wipe clean.  Toothpaste residue can build up on the rubber grips of other handles and be harder to remove. 

There is an oval shaped panel in the upper third of the brush handle that is of a rubber/silicone 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 on this white variant is a dusty grey/white colour. It isn’t all that bold and doesn’t stand out as much as it could, if other colours were used.

Within this panel is 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 just enough from the panel in which it is placed.

There is a real minimal look to this handle overall. 

In the lower third of the handle is a battery status LED. The 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 colour.

On the base of the handle is a recess into which the protuberance 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 chance of the brush rolling around, keeping it face up.

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.  

The Smart 2000 is the most cost effective model in the Oral-B range to offer a full 360 degree visible pressure sensor.  The older Pro 2000 has a visible pressure sensor, but it is about half the size and doesn’t wrap around the whole handle.

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 colour.

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. The light is weaker on the front side of the light ring.  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.

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.

It would also be nice if the handle vibrated differently like Sonicare models do.  But, alas it does not.

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 Sensitive brush head.

This pushes onto that metal shaft and pulls off when you want to remove it.  No twisting or locking into place is 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. After every use my teeth felt lovely and clean.

It moves at up to 10,500 oscillations per minute and delivers up to 48,000 pulsations per minute too (subject to brushing mode selected).

The Sensitive head is nice and soft on the teeth and gums. It is one of the preferred brush head options, alongside the CrossAction head (sold separately).

These are both from 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 2000 include:

• FlossAction
• Precision Clean
• Pro GumCare
• Deep Sweep
• 3D White
• Cross Action
• Sensitive

CrossAction along with the Pro GumCare/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.

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.

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 blue bristles on the head fade to a pale blue/translucent colour to indicate the brush head requires changing.

If possible recycle your used brush head. In fact, recycle all your oral care items.  

To actually use the Smart 2000 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 1 of 2 (possibly 3) modes available on the Smart 2000.

Official information from Oral-B suggests that the Smart 2000 has just 2 cleaning modes, Daily Clean and Sensitive.

However, the unit I purchased, clearly has 3 modes. That 3rd mode is Whitening.

I can’t confirm that this will be the case for everyone, but the same thing happened with the Smart 1500 available in the USA. Oral-B suggests 2 modes, but it had 3 available out of the box.

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 (if available on your model) – 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. 

Even with those brushes offering many more cleaning modes, my go to modes are Daily Clean, followed by Sensitive mode should the other feel too intense for any reason.  

Whitening (if available) 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 2000.  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.

To select the sensitive mode you have to press the button again. 

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

A third press will turn the brush off.  Or alternatively, press and hold the power button for about 2 seconds will also turn it off.

Or if your brush has 3 modes like ours, a third press will select whitening mode. And a fourth press will turn the brush off.

Therefore if the 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.

It would also be nice if there were some form of indicator or icon on the handle to reconfirm to you that you have selected the right mode.  With practice, you learn and can tell the difference.  But, a simple LED next to the name of the mode on the handle would be good.  It saves you from having to think quite so hard and just makes everyday usability better.

When any of the brushing modes are in use, the built-in timer and pacer are activated too.

The timer and pacer are included to help encourage you and me 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.

When it comes to dental advice and information on how to take care of your teeth, the Canadian Dental Association are one of the leading bodies.

Whilst the Pro 2000 specifically has not been awarded their ‘Approved’ status, other Oral-B products with the same cleaning action have.  This means the brushes have met and surpassed certain standards and tests that the independent board put together.

As you might expect, the Smart 2000 toothbrush handle is water resistant. 

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.

The Smart 2000 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 60 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.