Philips Sonicare HX6972/30 Flexcare Plus Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

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Philips Sonicare

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How to fix the loose shaft problem
By Ardy on September 26, 2011

I had the same problem with the loose shaft that others are reporting,and fixed it.The problem is with a screw that comes loose where the shaft attaches to the inner body.Here's how to fix it.First run the battery down by continuously restarting when it times out.Even after it has run down it will still buzz for a second when turned on.This took me a good 25 minutes.When battery has run down down take a wide bladed flathead screwdiver to the bottom of the handle.Insert the screwdriver so that the blade fits into the slots and with force,turn the bottom counter-clockwise 1/4 turn.With the toothbrush off push down on the shaft until it pushes out the bottom.Carefully pull out the inside body.Do this over a newspaper or a table as the loose parts may fall out.If you look where the shaft attaches to the handle,there is a small screw holding a 1/4 square bracket to the lower part of the shaft.It will be very loose or not attached at all.Take the screw and the bracket off.Use either loctite or nailpolish and lightly coat the threads of the screw.Insert the screw so that the head is on the flat side of the bracket,and the the threads come through the side with the cylindrical cutout.Using a pair of tweezers set the assembly (rounded side pointing towards the top,flat side towards the bottom.)into the gap where it goes.Using a small philips head screwdriver,(a jewelers screwdiver works great)tighten well.Take the inside (the part you just worked on)and line up the button contacts with the buttons on the outer housing.Slowly push in until it clicks into place.Voil`a ! Your done.Let dry overnight.Now better than new. 20 of 20 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


Great design, but doesn't work for me.
By esstothejay on April 25, 2011

I bought this Sonicare over the Oral-B at first based on the number of reviews on the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush with Sanitizer, and thought this model is a step up so it has to be even better. That was not the case, and long story short, I now use an Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Rechargeable Toothbrush. The Sonicare beats the Oral-B in most aspects except for the function in my opinion. It has a higher quality, more pleasing design than the Oral-B, which looks like a toy in comparison. All parts of the Sonicare are sealed and it can basically be submerged in water without having to worry about water getting into the handle, unlike the Oral-B. This isn't really a big deal, as I don't plan on using it while scuba diving, but it is a nice touch. The Sonicare also has a nicer display on the handle which actually shows the setting you select and the battery indicator is more modern, compared to the old-fashioned calculator type black LCD on the Oral-B. The Oral-B 5000 also lacks any display that shows which mode you have selected, but it isn't a big deal since you can easily tell by the different types of vibrations. The Sonicare has a lithium ion battery, and the Oral-B has a Ni-MH battery so the Sonicare wins in the battery department. The Sonicare can hold a charge for much longer than the Oral-B. The UV lamp was a big selling point for me at first, but after I bought it, I thought it was overkill, and probably not necessary as I have been doing fine for over a quarter of a century without a germicidal lamp for my toothbrushes. Most importantly, I felt that the Sonicare wasn't cleaning my teeth very well and I was just not satisfied with it. I even turned off the easy start mode and tried it at full power, and it still wasn't cleaning my teeth well enough. It also felt awkward. Perhaps I should have given it more time, but I just felt it wasn't working for me. The Oral-B's circular brush heads seem to work better in cleaning and I am happy with my Oral-B, even though it seems like Oral-B needs to scout some people from Sonicare's design team. The Oral-B handles and brush heads are cheaper and there are more varieties of brush heads as well so that is another plus for the Oral-B. I know this is supposed to be a review for the Sonicare, but I just wanted to be helpful to the people who are trying to decide between Sonicare and Oral-B like I did. 32 of 35 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


The unit broke within 3 months
By Murtaza A Habib on October 12, 2010

The unit broke within 3 months. I have the older Sonicare Elite model and it is still running after 3 years, but this newer, lighter flexcare plus model seems to be more prone to failures. Since the unit is within 90 day full refund warranty, i can get the full refund, but will have to pay for the return shipping and the whole process will take 3 months! Personally i did not notice or feel any difference in dental care between the older elite and newer flexcare+ models. I say, go for the older ones since they last longer and perform just as well! 106 of 118 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


Improved Version of Older HX6930 Model
By Arnim Zola on January 21, 2010

This model (HX6950) is currently the ultimate rechargeable toothbrush that dental offices seem to recommend (or at least have coupons for). I've noticed less plaque build-up and healthier gums ever since I started using the older model (HX6930) a few years ago. So the question is, if you already have a Philips Sonicare Flexcare, do you need this new model? UV SANITIZER ============ I love the comfort of knowing that the germs on my toothbrush have been killed off. The UV sanitizer does a quick and effective job of that. Just insert up to 2 toothbrush heads and press the button. Not all Sonicare toothbrushes have a UV sanitizer, so this would be the main reason for me to upgrade. From the Sonicare website, the UV bulb lasts about 1800 hours (about 2 years) and can be replaced from their webstore. The recommended frequency of using the UV sanitizer is once a day. DIFFERENCES with older HX6930 MODEL =================================== I bought the older Sonicare Flexcare HX6930 from Amazon a few years ago. Since then, Philips has made some slight improvements. These improvements seem to be cosmetic only. I've noticed that the UV sanitizer door now magnetically closes. The names of the toothbrush modes are changed but seem to have the same functions as the earlier model. - Clean (The basic 2 minute clean) - Sensitive (The adjustment for sensitive teeth) - Massage (The gum massage mode) - Refresh (The 1 minute clean. This is re-named from "Go Care") - Gum Care (The 2 minute clean plus 1 minute gum cleaning. This is re-named from "Max Care") GRIPE ======= I love this toothbrush, but my complaint about the mold build-up in the earlier model persists to this model. It's very easy for water to be trapped under the UV sanitizer door which leads to mold growing in there. You'll need to periodically remove the plastic caddy inside the sanitizer and clean it to prevent build-up. You'll also need to wipe off any water on the toothbrush before placing it back on the induction recharger. It rests flat on the charging area without any grooves to drain water. So trapped water inside the bottom of the toothbrush will give your toothbrush a really funky odor. EXTRAS ====== Includes a convenient travel case and travel charger. (If you give it a full charge, your toothbrush should last more than a week, so you may not need to pack the travel charger). TIP ==== Register your toothbrush via the registration card for $30 in coupons from Philips to use on Sonicare replacement heads. 127 of 127 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


My favorite Sonicare toothbrush
By Noname on December 27, 2009

This is my third Sonicare toothbrush. I've owned the Elite and Intelliclean and other brands of sonic toothbrushes and I must say, the Flexcare Plus is the best one yet. Out of the box, I see that the handle is slimmer than the others, sleeker and much more attractive; and the cleaning modes are displayed on the handle. It's easy to switch modes and there's no need to guess which mode the unit is in. It is easy to clean. Not all Sonicare brushes are. Some sport messy toothpaste dispensers (Intelliclean) or difficult to reach pit (Elite). The only problem I encounter is the brush head must fit on the handle in a certain direction -- you have to fit it on a rod, which is flat on one side. The Elite screws on, which is easy for the kids. This one takes a little more precision, which isn't difficult, but maybe not something for younger kids, those with poor eyesight or shaky hands. *ACCESSORIES* Oh my. So many accessories. FOUR COLORED RINGS, to distinguish the toothbrush heads -- choose one for you and one for your spouse. TWO BRUSH HEADS with sanitary covers. A NICE, HARD PLASTIC TRAVEL CASE which holds the handle and two brush heads -- the most attractive I've seen with the Sonicare toothbrushes. TWO CHARGERS: a small travel charger and a full size charger that is attached to a UV sanitizer. My other Sonicare brushes did not come with extra travel chargers. *CLEANING MODES* Flexcare has Quadpacer technology, which means it beeps every 30 seconds to remind us to move to another quadrant. That feature may be disabled, but I find it most useful. Intellicare includes Quadpacer technology. I believe some Elite models have Quadpacer, but mine did not. There are four different cleaning modes included. Intellicare has two modes and Elite has one. CLEANING mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning. GUM CARE mode: 2 minutes of normal cleaning plus 1 additional minute to concentrate on the gums (Quadpacer beeps every 15 seconds for the gum care minute). The gum cleaning is more gentle. This is my preferred mode. REFRESH mode: 1 minute. SENSITIVE mode: 2 minutes. More gentle cleaning. MASSAGE mode: 2 minutes. I can feel larger, slower circular vibrations than in any other mode. Feels like a back massage in the mouth. *UV SANITIZER* The UV sanitizer can sanitize two brush heads at the same time. Turn it on and it sanitizes for 10 minutes then automatically turns off. I thought maybe my toothbrush would be all wet inside, but it dries out my toothbrush for me. This the only Sonicare toothbrush I've owned with a UV cleaning feature and I think it's a wonderful addition. PROS: + comes with two brush heads and colored rings + nice travel case (best I've seen for Sonicare) + comes with small travel charger in addition to standard charger + standard charger has a UV sanitizer for two brush heads + Quadpacer technology to pace your cleaning + four separate modes -- easy to read and set + slimmer, sleek handle CONS: - doesn't dispense toothpaste (Intelliclean does, but I honestly didn't care for that feature. It's really not a con for me, but perhaps it is for some people.) - brush head isn't easy for young children or those with disabilities to attach *SUMMARY* Sonicare cleans teeth so much better than regular brushing alone. My dentist and my children's dentists always marvel at how clean our teeth are. It's really the toothbrush, because when we don't use Sonicare, the dentists notice. The question is which Sonicare to choose. For young kids, I'd go with the Elite. It's easier for them to change brush heads, and it's simpler and less expensive. They don't understand the concept of the Quadpacer technology (at least my kids didn't); and rather than using the appropriate mode, they just play with it. For adults, Flexcare Plus is the way to go. Sleek, easy to clean, a variety of modes, UV sanitizer -- it is my favorite sonic toothbrush of all time. 62 of 66 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


Philips delivers another solid product
By Senor Zoidbergo on December 13, 2009

I am thoroughly impressed with the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus. I was somewhat skeptical about what to expect from a teeth cleaning system promising such great things, and the price also caused me some hesitation. On the whole, however, this toothbrush delivers as advertised. MODES: There is no shortage of brushing options here. The Sonicare has five modes: Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive and Massage. After reading the directions and making several trials with each one, I still can't quite figure out why Refresh is on here. There appears to be no distinction between Clean and Refresh, and the directions only indicate that the Clean mode is designed for a two minute brush, while the Refresh is designed for a one minute brush. The difference is also subtle between Clean/Refresh and Gum Care. Nothing wrong with having too many modes per se, but it almost seemed like Philips just wanted another selling point by offering five modes. The other Sensitive and Massage modes, however, demonstrated their unique value. Notably, the Sensitive option offered a much gentler brushing, and the Massage option was a nice change of pace along the gum line. As a side note when using any of the modes, and you will probably learn this within five seconds of your first use, make sure the toothbrush is in your mouth before turning it on. As I found out, a brush this powerful can and will spray toothpaste everywhere. PERFORMANCE: There is no denying that my teeth feel cleaner after each use of this toothbrush. The Sonicare does all the work, so there is no actual "brushing" involved on your end. The brush head is designed well. It gets into all the crevices and does a great job between the teeth and on the gums. I discovered one interesting thing upon reading the directions. The Sonicare comes defaulted to setting called Easy-start. Basically, this feature starts you off with a gentler brushing experience for your first use, and the power gradually builds throughout the first week (i.e., 14 brushings). The directions say this feature is there for you "to ease into the Sonicare experience." If you don't feel the need to ease into a toothbrush, don't worry, there's a way to turn off Easy-start. Further, I could not detect any difference in intensity during my first 14 brushings, but this may be the point of the feature. Also, I noticed that while brushing, the Sonicare sometimes stopped its buzzing for brief moment. After looking this up in the manual, I learned that this is the toothbrush's way of letting you know it's time to move to a new part of your mouth (e.g., after 30 seconds it's time to go from the front of the lower teeth to the back of the lower teeth). DESIGN: The handle of the toothbrush has a nice grip. The brush head is small, but I find this a good thing, because anything bigger would be a nuisance once it started buzzing in your mouth. The front of the handle will highlight which mode you are in, and it is very easy to tell which mode is highlighted. You can only switch modes when the Sonicare is turned off. UV SANITIZER: The UV sanitizer takes 10 minutes, if that. The brush head fits right inside the compartment on a small peg, and the door shuts firmly even though there's no latch. You push a button to start the cleaning process, and the UV light will turn off automatically. Also, if you open the door at any time during the cleaning, the UV light will immediately shut off (tried it). This is a safety feature. The brush head will come out slightly warm, but only slightly. I like this feature. I can't imagine what a hotbed of germs a toothbrush is, and the UV light kills 99% of bacteria and viruses. CHARGERS: It takes 24 hours to give this product a full charge, but once it's charged, you won't need to do it again for a long while. I've heard this from other reviewers, and I can tell you from my own experience that after a week of use, I still have full bars (3 of 3) showing on the display. The device comes with a travel charger as well, but you may just want to leave it in the drawer if you're only going out of town for a week or so. You can also leave the toothbrush in the charger after each use, and once the device is fully charged, it is designed to draw only minimal power from the outlet. The base of the charger also has a way for you to wrap the power cord under the device. This just allows you to shorten the amount of cord you have exposed to view. I first found this annoying because it's not that easy to fit the cord into the grooves in the bottom of the charger. Once done, however, it was nice to get the excess cord out of the way so it wasn't bunched up on the counter top. BOTTOM LINE: I know this product is expensive, and I know there may be more bells and whistles than you're looking for on a toothbrush, but I think it's worth it. Dental health is important, and we too often take it for granted. 89 of 97 people found the above review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?


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