Oral-B Pro 5000 vs 7000

Detailed comparison: what’s the difference between the Oral-B Pro 5000 and Pro 7000?

The number of differences between these two more premium models is considerably less than when compared to a cheaper entry level brush, but differences do exist, so I will now explain them in a bit more detail.

Most of the differences will reveal themselves at the time you purchase the brush or unbox them.

The 5000 comes only in an all White color option, but the SmartSeries 7000 comes in that same all White, but also in a Black and Silver color combination.

The Black and Silver color combo is likely the one you will see available most.  The Black color is on the front and back of the handle where the rubber grips are located, with the right and left side of the brush having a silver panel on either side.

Personal preference as to which to go for.  Both look smart.  The White color option is a bit more universal in its appeal and will fit in most bathrooms.

Now we come to the box contents.

Both brushes come with the brush handle, a charging stand and a brush head storage compartment that can hold up to 4 brush heads.

Both come with a travel case, but they are different; more on that in a moment.

The 7000 also comes with a SmartGuide too.

Both come supplied with brush heads, but with the Pro 5000 comes 2 heads. These heads are are the CrossAction and the FlossAction, you get 1 of each.

The 7000 will typically come with 3 brush heads in the box.  They are the CrossAction, ProWhite and Sensitive.  You get one of each.

There are however some different options with the Pro 7000 that instead of the brush heads mentioned, you can get 3 x ProWhite or 3 x CrossAction or 3 x Sensitive brush heads included. This will be made clear at the time of purchase via the packaging and product description.

Some more than others will need to take their toothbrush with them when traveling and either model accommodates for this, providing a travel case in the box that is capable of holding a brush handle and up to 2 brush heads.

The 5000’s travel case is basic and functional made from a cheaper and thinner plastic, it will resist impacts pretty well and stop accidental activation.

With the 7000 you do get a more premium travel case that is more fitting of the price point and looks a lot smarter.

Thicker, heavier and generally more robust the case has a better quality smooth but sort of soft to touch coating on the outside rather than basic plastic, whilst inside are a more premium molded compartment rather than the push to clip in style design found with the 5000’s travel case.

If you have an eye for detail and travel a lot, the 7000’s case will be considerably more appealing, but at the end of the day that supplied with the SmartSeries 5000 does the job just fine.  Not like you will normally be showing your travel case off?!

Looking like a small clock, the included Smart Wireless Guide that comes with the 7000 is in my eyes one of the most underrated additions to any electric toothbrush.

It does indeed function as a 24 hour clock when not in use, but turn your toothbrush on and the screen displays the amount of time you have been brushing for, guides you as to which quadrant you should be focusing on, which cleaning mode you are using and how well you are doing.

Sitting there quietly not saying a thing, it is a visual stimulus when you get distracted.  Let’s face it we can easily do so when brushing our teeth and this either acts as encouragement to brush better and for longer for get the star rating and smiley face or indeed to tell you are I we have just 20 second of cleaning time left. Powered by 2 x AA batteries, it can sit on a shelf or worktop or be stuck to a wall thanks to the provided sticky pad.

This comes with the 7000 and not the 5000 and is a great aid, particularly for children as the on-screen stars and smiley face can really encourage.

So, the last and relatively minor difference between these two models is the extra cleaning mode that comes with the 7000.  This is the tongue cleaning mode.

Lasting just 20 seconds, it is designed to be used to clean the surface of the tongue and the inside of your cheeks, as these harbor germs and bacteria just like your teeth.

Few of us do clean our tongues, but this mode is there to help and encourage you to do just this.

The reality is any cleaning mode could be used and you could run your brush over your tongue on daily clean mode for example, but there is no pre-programmed timer associated with it.

Those are the key differences covered.

I do however also think it is worth noting that there are a good number of similarities between these two powered brushes that might be worth re-capping for convenience.

There are 6 different or compatible brush heads that work with either model, they are interchangeable.  Just pull them off and push them on.  Some come supplied as I have highlighted, but the full range are:

• Deep Sweep/TriZione
• Precision Clean
• CrossAction
• ProWhite/3D White
• FlossAction
• Sensitive

Any brush head can be used on any of the cleaning modes on the brush, but some work better with others.

The provided storage compartment that comes with both brushes provides a home to the heads when not in use.  It can hold up to 4 in total and has a lid that protects the heads from dirt and splashes.

Both models have built-in timers.  Typically the timer lasts for 2 minutes but different cleaning modes can last for different time periods.  Both also have a pacer/quadpacer built-in.  This is part of the timing mechanism which via a slight pause in the brush motor alerts you to focus cleaning on a different area of the mouth once a set time (usually 30 seconds) has passed.

A pressure sensor is present on both models.  Personally I have always used a toothbrush with a pressure sensor built-in, but very infrequently do I activate it.  For new users of a powered brush, it is a handy visual guide that teaches you to use less pressure than is required when brushing.

Most useful in the first few weeks of getting to grips with an electric toothbrush it teaches that the brush head should really skim the surface of the teeth, you need not scrub hard at them.

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

If you are using the app (more on that shortly), you will get an alert on screen too and the brush head motor will reduce in speed when it detects the added pressure.

The alerts will go away and the motor return to power when the pressure is reduced.

Both the 5000 and 7000 do also boast Bluetooth connectivity.

This allows your toothbrush and smartphone (Android or iOS) to communicate via an app and transfer data between the two.

You can use it as a real-time coach and electronic log if you like.  It has lots of useful features including tips and tricks and integration into your calendar and more to make it more functional and useful to yourself.

Conceptually it is a dentist there on your phone monitoring, coaching and encouraging better oral health care.

10 days of battery life is what you will get from either of these models.

Better than the 7 days of some Pro models, it is still at least a week short or more of the outstanding battery life available on Sonicare models.

One final thing to consider, which is often overlooked is that either lends themselves to be used within a family environment and the handle shared between different users.  You might not need all the cleaning modes personally, but might  your partner or child benefit? Doing such can reduce the cost, but you need to remember to change brush heads and note that using Bluetooth in this situation is not possible.  Also do bear in mind if a person has to travel…

Does one clean better than the other?

No.  When it comes to cleaning performance, it is a like for like result with the 5000 and 7000.

Both of these SmartSeries models share the same motor and offer the same power, oscillations and pulsations on whatever cleaning mode you use.

The 7000 does come with a Tongue Cleaning mode for added convenience.

You can clean your tongue with Daily Clean or any other mode on the 5000, you just don’t get the benefit of this specific mode, but the 5000 can clean the tongue equally as well as the 7000.

It might too be a bit of a stretch and really seeing or tracking a better clean as a result is very difficult.  However, the Smart Wireless Guide in my opinion can help you clean better.

If you are not using the Bluetooth connected app, and are relying on listening to the timer, it is easy to get distracted.  With the 5000 you don’t have the Smart Wireless Guide, but with the 7000 you do.

This clock like module sits in the bathroom and offers the ability to easily glance at it and another visual reminder and stimulus to brush well and for the right amount of time.

A small, but possibly psychologically beneficial addition that will encourage you and maybe children to clean for longer?!  I think so.

Is one better priced than the other?

As you would expect, the extra benefits of the Pro 7000 do not come for free.

On average there is about $25 difference between the two.

This is not a small difference in price, but for the extra benefits, it is justifiable.

The SmartGuide in my eyes is worth $20 alone, if not more.

It is not uncommon, despite the 7000 being the more expensive for it to be subject to more promotions and special offers.  You may need to shop around, but where it normally retailers for $125-199, there are times where you can get it for much nearer $100.

Discounts do come for the 5000, but they tend not to be as great, with it selling for anywhere between $95-150.

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.