Oral-B Pro 1000 vs Smart 3000

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Pro 1000 and Smart 3000?

With the main differences outlined above, let’s look into each of these in a bit more detail.

The first and most obvious difference is the look of the brushes.

Fundamentally they are very similar, a rounded brush handle with a detachable brush head at the top.

However, the Pro 1000 has a cleaner, more minimal look to it.  The design is said to be inspired by Oral-B’s more premium iO brush handles.

Unlike the Smart 3000, it does not have a large rubber grip that runs down the middle of the brush handle.  Whilst this does make the Pro 1000 a little easier to wipe and keep clean, it does mean the Smart 3000 feels a little more secure in the hand.

The 1000 does have a rubber grip around the power button, but the small surface area doesn’t give the same security in the hand.

The grip has changed on the back of the handle too.  

The Pro 1000 has a dimpled texture that runs the full length of the handle, whereas the Smart has a series of raised plastic ridges.  Those ridges start from just below halfway up on the handle and extend to the top of the handle.

Harsher to the touch, they do feel more resistive in the hand, particularly when the brush is wet.

The slight design differences, along with the different batteries, does mean the physical size and weight are marginally different. Not significant though.

Around the neck of the brush handle of the Smart 3000, you will see a red plastic panel, this is the visible pressure sensor.  More details on this shortly, but know that the 1000 does not have it.

And the last main design difference is the handle color.  The Smart 3000 comes in white, which includes the plastic body and the grip on the handle too.

The Pro 1000 is available in 4 different colors, white, black, pink and green.  Depending on the color variant, the rubber panel around the power button does differ in color slightly.  

It is worth noting that the black, green and pink variants of the 1000 actually have a white colored base to them. Therefore the whole unit is not black or pink. The images best demonstrate this.

Both brushes come supplied with 1 brush head in the box.  Most of the time this is a CrossAction brush head with either model.  However, the Smart 3000 may come supplied with a 3D White brush head.

This head is designed to help polish stains on the exterior of the teeth and make the teeth appear whiter.  It pairs well with the whitening mode available on the 3000.

Because the heads are interchangeable, if you have a preferred style, it can be fitted to the handle, even if it does not come in the box.

Both the Pro 1000 and the Smart 3000 have the default Daily Clean mode available.

However, the Smart 3000 has an extra 2 modes compared to the 1 mode of the 1000.

The extra modes on the Smart 3000 are Sensitive and Whitening.  Sensitive is the most appealing and useful mode of the 2.  The lower powered mode is ideal for those with inflamed or bleeding gums, or if you find the Daily Clean mode too intense.  Our Oral-B cleaning modes article goes into more depth, should you want to know more.

To access these additional modes, you have to press the power button an extra 1 or 2 times, each time you use the toothbrush.  The Smart 3000 defaults to the daily clean mode.

The brush motors in the handles are slightly different too.

Both offer a 3D cleaning action via the small round brush head, but the Pro 1000 only offers 8,800 oscillations and 20,000 pulsations per minute, compared to the 9,900 and 20,000 of the Smart 3000.  Whilst the difference exist the impact on your brushing and cleaning results are limited.

With the increased number of brushing modes, comes the potential desire to want to use different brush heads, ideally suited to these. When not in use these need to be stored somewhere.

The Smart 3000 comes with a storage compartment that holds up to 4 heads.  It clips over the charging stand and has a lid to protect the heads too.

It is quite useful if you do use multiple heads. Or, if you share a brush handle it gives the other brush users a place to store their heads too.

Considering just 1 brush head comes included in the box it is a little unnecessary but I get the reason for inclusion.

A pressure sensor is built into both of these models.  However, only the Smart 3000 has a visible pressure sensor.

The pressure sensor benefits new and even experienced electric toothbrush users, but admittedly new users get the greatest benefit.

Having been using an electric toothbrush for many years now I do occasionally active the sensor.

The pressure sensor on the Smart 3000 alerts you via a bright red LED on the back of the handle when too much pressure is being applied.

If you see the red light, reduce the pressure until the light goes out.

Studies have shown that many people brush too hard.  Brushing harder or faster does not equal a better clean.  In fact, in many respects, it is the opposite.  

If you use the app with the Smart 3000, it will also alert you when too much pressure is applied.

The 1000’s pressure sensor, will like the Smart 3000’s reduce the number of brush head movements, until such time as the pressure is relieved.  However, it is virtually impossible to know if the sensor has been activated on the 1000 as there is no light, or significant change in sound or brushing sensation.

Whether you agree with it or not the Smart 3000 has Bluetooth connectivity.

It allows the brush to connect to and communicate with the free Oral-B smartphone app.

When connected, via the app you essentially have a glorified on-screen timer, when using it in real-time.  It shows your brushing time as well as having graphics to highlight which quadrant of the mouth you should be brushing.

It is not tracking the exact position of the toothbrush like some other premium models.  It is not going to give you a score for how well or poorly you brushed.

Essentially, it is an aid to keep you on track, engaged and log your history of brushing sessions for review at a later point, if you so desire.

You can see if you have been consistent with how often you brush and how long you have brushed for.  It takes some getting used to after many years of just picking up a brush.  And no, it is not essential by any means.  But, if you have grown up with tech or like gadgets, this might be for you.

The last major difference is the battery.

Both have built-in rechargeable battery’s, but the battery type and usage time is different.

The Pro 1000 has a NiMH battery that gives about 10 days use on a single charge.

The Smart 3000 on the other hand has a Li-Ion battery that lasts at least 14 days on a single charge.

In my hands-on testing I achieved a little over 10 days with the 1000, but a whole 3 extra days with the Smart 3000.

Does one clean better than the other?

Technically, yes, the Smart 3000 can clean better.

In reality, the answer is no.

This is because trying to determine whether one does actually clean better or not is very difficult and there is a difference between lab testing and real world use.

Tthe Smart 3000 offers an extra 1,100 oscillations and 25,000 pulsations.

It has 9,900 oscillations and 45,000 pulsations per minute, compared to the 8,800 and 20,000 of the Pro 1000, but you and I would struggle to notice this or see any differences.

Brushing time, frequency and technique all have a greater impact on our oral health than the number of movements alone.

It isn’t all about power.  You can have the most powerful toothbrush, but if you are not brushing for 2 minutes twice a day with the correct technique, then it isn’t going to give you the benefits you would expect.

For most users, perfecting their technique will deliver greater improvement.

Even if you have mastered anything else and picked the Pro 1000 over the Smart 3000, you are going to get the most marginal of improvements, which you and even your dentist would struggle to notice.

For some, particularly those with sensitive teeth and gums, will see greater benefit from the Smart 3000 compared to the Pro 1000 which does not offer the slower cleaning mode.

It could too be argued that the Smart features of the 300 might also promote you to use it more than the 1000, but there is no meaningful data available to really say this is true.

Is one better priced than the other?

Yes, generally speaking, the Pro 1000 will be quite a lot cheaper than the Smart 3000.

The retail price of the 3000 is $109.99 compared to the $69.99 of the 1000.

A $50 difference is pretty significant, given the limited extras the 3000 offers.

Actual selling prices tend to be $45 and $80 respectively, so although a lot less, still a fair premium. I struggle to find justification for this.

If the Smart 3000 was available at $55 it would be a good buy compared to the $45 of the 1000.

Prices are always changing with different sellers and even Oral-B putting on offers; so really it is about finding the best price available when you come to buy and paying the price you are happy with.

All things considered, the 1000 is still my preference.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase.  These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.