Customer Review(s)
Customer Rating: 
Summary: PHILIPS SONICARE ADVANCE 4100
Comment: NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS PROCDUCT EXCEPT IF YOU NEED ONE, GET IT.
IT HAS HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY WITH GUM PROBLEMS.
THIS IS MY SECOND ADVANCE 4100. THE LAST ONE LASTED APPROXIMATELY 14 YEARS BEFORE IT DIED.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Planned Obsolescence
Comment: Here are two things Phillips will not tell you about their Sonicare toothbrushes and heads.
1) The collar that holds the toothbrush to the handle will disintegrate in a couple of months. That's what prompted this review, because they would not replace mine after it fell apart two weeks after purchasing a replacement.
They manufacturer these things to disintegrate so you will continue to buy replacements - planned obsolescence. However, I suspect their China supplier is skimping on the plastic specifications and they fall apart in weeks instead of months. (Do you think China would really do that?)
2) UNPLUG your base until you need to charge the toothbrush. If you charge it up overnight, then unplug the base, the toothbrush will work for four brushings per day for about a month. Then, when it signals or stops, plug the base in to charge it.
This method will allow your toothbrush to work for five years or longer. If you keep the base plugged in all the time, these NiCad batteries develop memory and will stop functioning after 18 to 24 months.
A bonus, if you travel a lot as I do, you don't have to pack the charger. Just make sure it's topped off and you're good for a month's vacation.
Customer Rating: Summary: Brush your teeth, it's still the law - this is the next best thing
Comment: We bought the kids one of these for each after the cheaper Sonicare Xtreme E3000 Power Toothbrush - Orange failed repeatedly - we actually had Amazon send us replacements.
These are the perfect way to introduce tweens to a toothbrush that's going to keep their teeth happy, clean and healthy for as long as they need to bite and chew things. They've been using them for almost one year now and they work as expected. No breakdowns whatsoever and the price is absolutely right.
If you don't want to spend more money on an Elite, then definitely go for one of these because it's the next best thing.
Customer Rating: Summary: What a LACK of continuity of Product!!!!
Comment: My husband and I used SoniCare for our toothbrush - bought our first one in 1994. Well - this year the toothbrush finally died - no longer held a charge. Ours was the only SoniCare model sold at the time we bought it - it worked VERY well for a very long time. We changed brush heads every six months, we kept the unit well cleaned. We really loved the heft of the base unit and the 30 second beeps.
So we ordered another "basic" (to get the HEAVIER base - we did not like the lighter weight model with those SKINNY brush heads). This SoniCare arrived a week after we ordered it - well packaged - all items in tact. We 'pluged' in the charger - charged the brush unit 24 hours - and then - proceeded to use it.
COMPLETELY CHANGED - - - now, NO 30 SECOND BEEP - the unit does work for the entire two minutes, but gone is the very handy 30 second timer.
I do believe we will change to the Braun Oral-B when this piece of dreck dies. It's not pleasant spending a weeks grocery money on a toothbrush - and then discovering that the 'trusted' company decided to make a few pennies more per item and killed the 30 second timer on 'low-end' items.
Shame on you Phillips/SoniCare!!!!!!! (Sure hope those few pennies saved make up for the LONG time customers you are going to lose.)
