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Last Updated on February 25, 2023
Oral B 1000 Vs. 3000 Toothbrush: Comparison Review

When it comes to having good dental hygiene, you need the best of the best. Oral B has been known as a top toothbrush company, but which one of their products is actually the best?
Both Oral B 1000 and Oral B 3000 have some great qualities along with some disadvantages, but which one is the best for your teeth?
Let’s go over both the advantages and disadvantages of these toothbrushes to see which brush does the best job of keeping your mouth free from germs.
Oral B 1000 Vs. Oral B 3000 At a Glance
# | Preview | Product | |
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1 |
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Oral-B Pro 1000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Black | Buy on Amazon |
2 |
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Oral-B Pro 3000 3D White Electric Toothbrush | Buy on Amazon |
Here are the bullet points for those who want quick answers.
Oral B 1000 Advantages:
- Has a pressure sensor that removes pressure from your mouth
- Meets oscillations recommendation
- Is the cheaper option
Oral B 1000 Disadvantages:
- Has only one cleaning mode
- Has only 8800 oscillations at 30000 pulsations per minute
- Doesn’t have a visible pressure sensor so you don’t know when you’re brushing too hard
Oral B 3000 Advantages:
- Has two cleaning modes
- Has 9900 oscillations at 45000 pulsations per minute
- Has a visible pressure sensor
Oral B 3000 Disadvantages:
- More expensive
- Charging stand won’t work in the United States
- Aimed at a United Kingdom Market instead of a United States Market
Winner: Don’t want to read the full article? The editor’s choice is the Oral B 3000.
What’s The Difference Between Them?
Cleaning Modes
Toothbrushes are getting more advanced as technology evolves. No more do you only have to have one mode on your toothbrush. You can now find toothbrushes that have different modes to suit your dental needs.
First, all Oral B brushes have a standard cleaning mode. This is the mode when you turn the toothbrush on and don’t press any other buttons. The Oral B 1000 only has the standard cleaning mode option. Technology has made this cleaning mode more advanced, but you don’t have the option to change modes with this toothbrush.
The Oral B 3000 has two cleaning modes. It has the standard cleaning mode, as all toothbrushes do, but this toothbrush also has a sensitive care option. If you have sensitive teeth or sensitive gums, this mode helps keep your tooth-brushing experience gentler.
This secondary mode is sometimes called gum care mode because it aims to be gentle on the gums and avoids causing irritation or unnecessary bleeding. Using this option is good for many people.
Whether you are introducing your child to electric toothbrushes, have sensitive gums or teeth, or are older with gum problems, a gentle option on a toothbrush can be very helpful. Specifically, the sensitive cleaning mode on the Oral B 3000 will reduce the overall power of the toothbrush, giving you slightly fewer pulsations per minute and slower oscillations.
This makes the toothbrush gentler on your mouth and gums, which is helpful since this toothbrush already has more power than the Oral B 1000. We will go into more detail on the power differences between the toothbrushes below.
Verdict: The Oral B 3000 with its two modes is the winner.
Pressure Sensor and Brushing Power
Both of these Oral-B toothbrushes are pretty powerful. The Oral B 1000 has 8800 oscillations at 30000 pulsations per minute. The Oral B 3000 has 9900 oscillations at 45000 pulsations per minute in its standard cleaning mode.
The recommended number of oscillations for your electric toothbrush to have is 8800 oscillations, so both of these toothbrushes are great to use. If you want a more powerful toothbrush, the Oral B 3000 has more oscillation and pulsation power.
When you have good quality and powerful toothbrushes, it can be really easy to be too forceful on your mouth and cause damage to your enamel and gums over time. That’s why Oral B has developed pressure sensors in their toothbrushes.
Both the Oral B 1000 and the Oral B 3000 have pressure sensors built into them to prevent you from causing time to your mouth. However, their pressure sensors are built slightly differently.
The Oral B 1000’s pressure sensor isn’t visible. When you start to press too hard on your teeth and gums with this toothbrush, the Oral B 1000 will start to limit its power. You will notice that the strength of your toothbrush decreases if you press too hard, and that is how this toothbrush prevents damage.
On the other hand, the Oral B 3000’s pressure sensor is visible. Right underneath the head of the brush, you can see a red plate. When you are brushing your teeth and start to press too hard on your teeth or gums, this red plate will light up, flashing a bright red light that alerts you that you are pressing too hard. This red light won’t go out until you relieve pressure.
Having pressure sensors are great for keeping your gums and teeth healthy. However, it is hard to tell when you are pressing too hard on the Oral B 1000 because it doesn’t show you the behavior. With the Oral B 3000, you will learn when you are pressing too hard and are able to actively prevent pressing too hard again in the future.
If you are known for pressing too hard while brushing your teeth, you might be recommended by your dentist to invest in a toothbrush that can tell you when you are brushing too hard. Finding a toothbrush with a visual pressure sensor, like the Oral B 3000, would be important in keeping your mouth healthy and your gums from being worn away.
Essentially, the Oral B 1000’s sensor works on damage control, while the Oral B 3000’s sensor works on future prevention. If you don’t want to think about pressure control, the Oral B 1000 would be fine with you. If you need to work on your brushing pressure, then the Oral B 3000 would be perfect for you.
Verdict: The Oral B 3000 toothbrush wins with its visible pressure sensor.
Pricing Of The Toothbrushes And Replacements
There is a lot that goes into determining the pricing of a toothbrush. First, you have the price of the toothbrush itself. You also have shipping costs if you are unable to buy the toothbrush in a store, as well as the ongoing cost of replacing the heads regularly. Let’s delve into these price differences to determine which toothbrush is cheaper and of more value.
The Toothbrush Cost
The price of these toothbrushes changes depending on where you purchase from as different places has different prices. The Oral B 1000 toothbrush ranges in price from $50-$90. Currently, this toothbrush is being sold on Amazon for $50.
It is harder to find the Oral B 3000, especially if you live in the United States. This means that the prices are going to be quite a bit higher for this kind of toothbrush. The price range for an Oral B 3000 is anywhere from $70-$120.
However, there are places such as Walmart that are selling these toothbrushes for much higher. This toothbrush is currently $81.50 on Amazon while on sale. Its original Amazon price is $105.
Shipping Costs
If you are purchasing the Oral B 1000 in-store, you don’t have to worry about shipping costs. Many stores will even ship for low shipping costs under $10. If you use Amazon, the price of the toothbrush is high enough that you qualify for free shipping.
Since the Oral B 3000 toothbrush is also available on Amazon, you can buy it there and get free shipping as well. However, if you don’t use Amazon, you are likely to have to pay more for shipping. Several places have shipping for less than $10, but these are usually from shops that aren’t as well known.
You can also find Oral B 3000 toothbrushes on eBay, but the shipping costs you will find on the website will vary widely. If you ship from a European website, you are likely going to have to pay at least $10 for international shipping.
In total, the Oral B 1000 is much less expensive than the Oral B 3000 toothbrush. It is also much easier to find online and in stores making the time you will have to spend researching and purchasing less too.
Replacement Head Prices
Many kinds of electric toothbrushes will have replacement heads to make your toothbrush last a lot longer. The replacement heads for Oral B 1000 toothbrushes will cost anywhere from $10-$20, depending on the store that you go to.
Replacement heads for Oral B 3000 toothbrushes will cost a little bit more, their price ranging from $20-$30. However, these prices also depend on the pack sizes that you get, as you can get both four packs and eight packs which will have different price points.
Verdict: The cheaper costs of the Oral B 1000 make this toothbrush the winner.
Batteries and Charging
Oral B 1000 and Oral B 3000 toothbrushes use different kinds of batteries.
The Oral B 1000 uses a NiMH battery. This battery usually lasts 10 days. Do note that the battery that Oral B toothbrushes use is rechargeable, so you don’t have to go out and buy new batteries until you start seeing problems with the recharging time on your toothbrush. For a replacement battery for your Oral B 1000 toothbrush, you won’t pay more than a few dollars for it.
The Oral B 3000 uses a Li-ion battery, which is a lot more common among toothbrushes. This brush is also rechargeable so you simply charge it on the base that is included. You will be able to find a replacement battery in stores for around the same price as a replacement battery for the Oral B 1000 toothbrush.
Verdict: A tie – both are rechargeable with similar battery replacement costs
Just because a toothbrush is more powerful and has more features than another brush, it doesn’t always mean that the toothbrush is always better. The main goal of a toothbrush is to provide you with good dental hygiene and to give you a fresh and clean mouth.
What makes one toothbrush better than the other? It will always depend on what the user needs from a toothbrush. Different features can be fun, but they are really only useful if the user needs that specific feature.
The features that the Oral B 3000 has aren’t even the limit of what today’s toothbrushes have to offer. There are so many different kinds of toothbrushes that have different specialties, from whitening to gum health to even anti-aging toothbrushes.
When you are looking for a new toothbrush, take into consideration what you need from a toothbrush. Do you just need something cheaper that will get the job done? Do you have sensitive gums that require a gentler setting? Make what you need the main consideration when you are deciding on what toothbrush is the best for you and your mouth.
Conclusion
Based on the above buying criteria and weighing the pros and cons, we consider the best toothbrush to be the Oral B 3000. This toothbrush has more brushing power, more cleaning modes, and a visible pressure sensor.
We are especially favorable of the visible pressure sensor as it is always nice to be able to see when you are pressing too hard while brushing your teeth.
We also understand that this toothbrush can be a lot more expensive than the Oral B 1000 when considering shipping costs and the overall costs. If you want to spend more on your dental hygiene, we do recommend getting the Oral B 3000. However, we also understand that the Oral B 1000 is still a great toothbrush for its price point.
Take our points listed above about each toothbrush to heart when considering what toothbrush you are going to buy in the future. Maybe you don’t want the power that the Oral B 3000 has. That’s completely okay! We want you to make the best choice for your mouth and your dental hygiene needs.
We recommend buying the Oral B 3000, but you know your mouth the best. Happy brushing!