Why Does my Oral-B Toothbrush Flash Red?

From video games to movies to television, whenever a red flashing light shows up, it typically means that something has gone or is going to go very wrong. Red lights have transferred to our daily lives as well, typically to signal danger or something that we need to pay attention to, and if you are using an Oral-B toothbrush, you might see a flashing red light as well.

However, if you are wondering what a flashing red light on an Oral-B toothbrush means, then you are not alone. However, you should be a little concerned about it as well. There are a few reasons you are greeted by a flashing red light whenever you move to brush your teeth.

This article is going to break down the reasons why your Oral-B toothbrush is flashing red and how best to fix it. Thankfully the answer is pretty simple!

Reasons an Oral-B Toothbrush Flashes Red

1. Putting Too Much Pressure On Your Teeth

If you have ever been to the dentist, then you probably know that they always talk about not pressing too hard on your teeth, especially with electric toothbrushes. A gentle toothbrush is going to be more than enough to clean your teeth and ensure that your entire mouth is kept very healthy.

However, if you are still putting too much pressure on your teeth with your Oral-B toothbrush, then you might be encountering a problem that your toothbrush is trying to warn you about. A red light on your Oral-B electric toothbrush can mean that the pressure sensor on the head of the toothbrush is being fully triggered.

If that happens, the red light will turn on. You will need to remove the pressure to turn it off, as well as press a bit less hard on the teeth when you brush them. A simple brushing motion without too much movement will allow the toothbrush to do its thing and fully clean off your teeth without too much trouble.

Now, if the pressure sensor light is turned on all the time whenever you are not fully brushing, make sure to rinse the brush head with warm water.

The metal pin that connects to the brush head is what triggers the red light, and toothpaste can very easily get stuck on that area and can cause enough pressure to light the toothbrush up. Cleaning it can be the best way to fix the entire problem, and by removing the brush head and washing it thoroughly, you can prevent this from happening in the future.

2. Low Battery

Electric toothbrushes, just like everything else, need to be fully charged and can decrease in charge with each and every brush. Much like how your phone battery icon turns red and flashes a warning whenever it needs to be charged, your Oral-B toothbrush can do the exact same thing.

If you find that the red light is nearer to the bottom of the handle, then you are being warned to charge the battery because it will probably run out of power after the next few brushes. Make sure to constantly be charging the Oral-B toothbrush and you shouldn’t have this problem.

Speaking of heavy charging, if you are charging your Oral-B toothbrush and the light still isn’t turning off, then you need to make sure that it is charging correctly. Once the toothbrush is fully charged, the flashing red light should turn off.

Keep in mind that the light will continue to blink during the charging process, only this time it will be a soothing green as the Oral-B electric toothbrush charges, and once the toothbrush is done fully charging, the light will shut itself off.

3. A Smart Ring Color Choice

If you happen to have a Genius toothbrush, then this brand of Oral-B toothbrush has a customizable smart ring that can provide feedback on:

• How hard you are brushing
• How long you are brushing
• The mode that you have selected for your electric toothbrush

The ring can be a flashing red light, and it is typically this way to get your attention so you can examine the data.

However, if you find that the flashing red light causes more worry for you, then you can go into the Oral-B app and change the color of the ring to something more soothing. Just make sure to disregard what the color is and ensure to focus on what it is actually trying to tell you about your teeth and your brushing habits.

What Happens if my Toothbrush Doesn’t Stop Flashing?

Of course, one of the biggest problems you might have with your toothbrush is that it won’t stop flashing. The best way to solve this issue is to ensure that the toothbrush is fully clean and the pressure sensor isn’t triggered, and then make sure that the toothbrush is actually fully charging.

While it can take up to a day for the toothbrush to fully charge, the light should either remain a solid green or go out once the charging is completed. Otherwise, make sure everything is connected, fully plugged in, and working properly if the Oral-B toothbrush isn’t fully finished charging, even after a long time. Especially if you have an older toothbrush and the wires can get frayed.

Fixing the Toothbrush Flash

While a red flashing light might be meant to serve as a danger warning, it doesn’t need to be something that you have to worry about or make you buy a whole new toothbrush. Instead, take the problem calmly and rationally, and figure out if the problem is the toothbrush and how it is charging. Or it could just be how you are using it as well, and you might need to fix up your brushing habits to ensure that the warning lights aren’t coming for you.

As long as you take notice of the flashing red light and fix it accordingly, then you can solve the problem and get back to brushing your teeth without everything lighting up.