Home > Consumer Reviews > Philips Sonicare Elite e7300 Power Toothbrush

I've been using the Elite 7300 for about a week now. I really do enjoy it - my teeth feel like I've just been to the dentist. I have fillings on the front of my teeth, and food frequently gets caught on the rough surfaces. Not anymore! The only real drawback I've found is brushing my tongue - brushing it with the toothbrush on sprays toothpaste all over the bathroom, and brushing it with the toothbrush off (like an old fashioned manual toothbrush) is annoying because the toothbrush head is very small. LOVE the 2 minute timer, and I just can't say enough that I LOVE how my teeth feel.

I had a tough time deciding on the different Elite lines, because I didn't find any helpful info on the difference between the models. So I'm going to tell you.

The 7800 allows you to change the pre-programmed 2 minute brushing time to 2 1/2 minutes. It also comes with a "luxury brush holder" - a wall mount kit. Also has a dual speed control and different charger indicator.

The 7500 comes with the stuff above, except not the timer change option.

The 7300 does not come with any of that, and works just fine. No need to spend the extra cash - it's fine just the way it is.

As an owner of an "original" Sonicare (on my second actually) I am writing this review more from the perspective of whether the Elite is worth $[$$]+ as an "upgrade".

First, from an aesthetic and ergonomic point on view the Elite is a big step forward. The handle is lighter and has a tapered shape with a rubber grip. More importantly the brush head is smaller and is more of a diamond shape rather than the "original" rectangle. The brush head "neck" is also angled to provide easier access to the back teeth and "flexes" both horizontally and vertically.

That being said, the Elite just does not seem as "powerful" as the original. This is based not only on my subjective opinion of the "feel" while brushing but also on an objective "look" at the brush head while powered on. Whereas the original has bristles that travel through a 90 degree arc, the Elite bristles barely travel at all. Granted, this may be in part due to the smaller/shorter bristles. Sonicare claims that the Elite is actually better from a functional point of view and I cannot say otherwise, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. (yes, i tested with the "beginner mode" turned off)

Also, after six weeks of usage, one of the magnets on the Elite brush head appears to have rusted significantly. This was never a problem with the "original" Sonicare brush heads. Whether this affects performance or not I cannot say. As the brush head enters its third, fourth or fifth month of service I can only assume that the changes for decreased performance would increase. Also, black "moldy" appearing deposits accumulate in the handle "well" which, also, never occured with the "original". My guess here is that water is allowed to accumulate inside the brush head and handle well because of the flexible rubber housing (between the brush head "nut" and "neck") allows for the 360 degree "flex" I mentioned earlier-this housing is not sealed. When I inquired, Sonicare denied(not having seen the unit) that what I was seeing was rust, and referred me to the cleaning instructions. Take that for what it is worth...

I have found one interesting thing... While the "original" brush head will not fit the Elite handle, the Elite brush head WILL fit the "original" handle. I detect no difference in the brushing experience using that combination.

My recommendations therefore are:

1) if you have never had a Sonicare then by all means buy the "Elite"... (but be wary of the rusting problem)

2) if you currently have an "original" that is on its last legs then buy an Elite (again be wary of the rust)

...

This model has all the features of the Elite 9500 (2 brush heads, 2 cleaning modes, programmable quadpacer, and a guage to indicate about how much charge is remaining in the battery), but it's $12 cheaper from Amazon!

All the "programmable quadpacer" feature amounts to is the ability to leave it on for an extra (i.e., a fifth) 30-second interval, or the ability to turn the timer off so that it's just on/off. I regard most of the features as functional ornamentation ("bells and whistles"), but the Elite 9800 also happens to be a dependable, super-lightweight model that will run a good three weeks on a charge with only one person using it. I went on a three-week trip and didn't bother to pack my charger, and it had charge to spare when I got back. NOTE: I always allow the NiCd battery run all the way down (to exhaustion) before charging it, and that enhances both the charge and battery life. (NiCd's only have so many charge cycles.)

If this is your first electric, you might like the way it comes out of the box programmed to gradually ramp-up the power over the first fourteen brushings.

What's the difference between the 9800 and the 9500? The models appear identical. The only difference I found is that one comes in a box that says 9800, the other says 9500. :-)

I had an old Sonicare for almost 5 years and the battery ... out on me, so I decided to get a new one. I didn't know about the Elite until I went to buy it. I've had it for almost a week and it is defintely better than my old one.

My old Sonicare did not have the Quad Pacer feature which this does and I like it a lot. I also really like the new thin, angled brush head and I believe the claims that the Elite is 20% more effective than older models. My teeth almost feel like I just had them polished after brushing. If you are looking to replace your old one or want to get an powered toothbrush I would recommend.

I bought an Elite 7500 model because that's what the store had, but I don't think there were many differences in the 7300 and the 7500. I wish I'd had this toothbrush a year or more ago. Maybe I wouldn't have the degree of gum disease I do now. I bought my first and only Sonicare model after very high recommendations by my periodontist. After being examined by her the first time in June, I went back after having used the Sonicare consistently in September. The difference in the two exam's results was phenomenal! The dentist couldn't stop remarking over it! I had pockets of some degree or another around 80% of my teeth; on the 2nd visit, this had been reduced to about 10%, it was that effective on my teeth AND gums. I love the "massage" feeling while I'm brushing too. There's been absolutely no mechanical problems with any part of it, or any "cosmetic" flaws, after 4 months of use, still looks brand new! I now have TWO dentists raving about the condition of my teeth! (And my primary dentist is NOT known for his raving.)