Philips sonicare 9900 prestige review: is it the ultimate travel companion?

If you’ve moved on from your manual and have decided to brush your teeth using an electric model, you’ve probably realised that you are faced with a choice...

Either you choose a brush that goes about its business with a head that oscillates and rotates as it cleans, or one that uses multiple sonic pulses to separate the plaque from the teeth. As the name suggests, all brushes in the sonicare range use the latter.

More specifically, the brush head moves rapidly from side to side over the surfaces of the teeth, while sonic vibrations have an agitating effect on the mixture of toothpaste and fluids in the mouth, which in turn have a loosening effect on plaque.

However, the 9900 prestige is the first to combine this unique sonic approach with an app running, what its manufacturer calls, Sense IQ technology which provides real-time guidance on a number of criteria from duration and frequency, to pressure and position when brushing your teeth.

Available in two colours, champagne and midnight, it’s a stylish affair and in keeping with the overall aesthetic, the charging dock is equally good looking with a frosted look to the base itself.

That attention to detail continues with its travel case, which clearly isn’t just an afterthought, but a sleek, stylish home for the brush made from faux leather that will also keep the brush charged, thanks to the supplied USB-C lead

The 9900 prestige looks and feels premium out of the box, comes loaded with the latest in teeth tracking tech and you’re unlikely to find it anywhere for less than the premium price of £299.99.

Even if you’re pretty serious about your dental hygiene, we know that it’s still a very serious investment, so what can you expect from a brush that costs as much as a porcelain crown – and will it save you that kind of expense in the long run?

We had two users testing the brush, one who had only recently started brushing their teeth with an electric and another, more experienced, user who had left their manual behind many years ago to see how each one got on with this banner product from Philips.

Each spent a month with the product to get used to the product’s app, the performance of the brush and its battery – as well as in attempts to notice the impact it had on dental hygiene, if any. Read on for our verdict.