View source for Sonicare

{{Short description|Philips electric toothbrush brand}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2025}}
'''Sonicare''' is the brand name of an [[electric toothbrush]] produced by [[Philips]].

==History==
In 1987, David Giuliani, an entrepreneur with a background in electrical engineering, met with University of Washington professors Drs. David Engel and Roy Martin. They formed a new company named GEMTech to promote a dental hygiene device using a [[piezoelectricity|piezoelectric]] multimorph [[transducer]]. After several years of research and creating prototypes, the Sonicare toothbrush was introduced in 1992.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bissett |first=Gaby |date=November 24, 2022 |title=Sonicaring for 30 years |url=https://dentistry.co.uk/2022/11/24/sonicaring-for-30-years/ |website=Dentistry Online}}</ref>

In 1995, GEMTech changed its name to Optiva Corporation.<ref name=":0" /> The company was originally headquartered in [[Bellevue, Washington]], and moved to [[Snoqualmie, Washington]], in 1999. The {{convert|176,000|sqft|sqm}} plant in Snoqualmie was later supplemented by an additional facility in [[Auburn, Washington]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Monson |first=Suzanne |date=August 21, 2005 |title=Sonicare putting smiles on faces of job seekers |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/sonicare-putting-smiles-on-faces-of-job-seekers/ |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |accessdate=May 7, 2024}}</ref> In October 2000, Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care, a division of [[Royal Philips Electronics|Philips]], acquired the company. A few months later Optiva Corporation changed its name to Philips Oral Healthcare, Inc. By the end of 2001, Sonicare had become the number-one selling rechargeable power toothbrush in the United States.<ref name="History">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sonicare.com/discover/sonicare_story/our_story.asp|title=Sonicare - Our Story|accessdate=2008-06-04|publisher=Sonicare.com}}</ref> In 2003, to improve Philips brand recognition in the US, Philips rebranded the Sonicare toothbrush as "Philips Sonicare".

==Product and technology==
[[File:Phillips Sonicare 5100 with black brushing head.jpg|thumb|A Philips Sonicare 5100. This model has 2 cleaning modes ]]
The brush head vibrates at hundreds of times per second, with the latest models at 31,000 strokes per minute (517 Hz) or 62,000 movements per minute<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifa.philips.com/content/01-news/01-health-and-home/12-philips-mens-care-kit/Philips%2520Premium%2520Men%27s%2520Care%2520Kit%2520Press%2520Release_FINAL_30%2520Aug.pdf|title=Press Information - Philips IFA 2016}}{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}</ref> (1033&nbsp;Hz).  Rather than connecting to its charger with conductors, it uses [[inductive charging]]&mdash;the charger includes the primary winding of the voltage-reducing transformer and the handle of the brush includes the secondary winding. The replaceable head is also driven magnetically. Currently, there are multiple types of Sonicare brushes.

==Effectiveness==
{{further|Electric toothbrush#Effectiveness}}
Based on 10 relevant studies, a 2014 [[Cochrane (organisation)|Cochrane]] review concluded that electric toothbrushes with side-to-side lateral motion, including Sonicare brushes, were similarly effective as [[manual toothbrush]]es in reducing [[dental plaque]] and [[gingivitis]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yaacob |first1=Munirah |last2=Worthington |first2=Helen V |last3=Deacon |first3=Scott A |last4=Deery |first4=Chris |last5=Walmsley |first5=A Damien |last6=Robinson |first6=Peter G |last7=Glenny |first7=Anne-Marie |title=Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health |url=https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002281.pub3/pdf/full |journal=[[Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews]] |date=17 June 2014 |volume=2014 |issue=6 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD002281.pub3 |doi-access=free|pmc=7133541 }}</ref> A 2004 review found that the [[Oral-B]] toothbrush with [[Electric toothbrush#Oscillating rotating|oscillating rotating]] motion removed plaque more thoroughly than Sonicare toothbrushes; the review also identified that the laboratory studies demonstrating the plaque elimination effect of the Sonicare toothbrush's "dynamic fluid activity" were not replicated in well-controlled clinical studies.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Warren |first1=P R |last2=Cugini |first2=M A |last3=Chater |first3=B V |last4=Strate |first4=J |title=A review of the clinical efficacy of the Oral-B oscillating/rotating power toothbrush and the Philips Sonicare toothbrush in normal subject populations |journal=International Dental Journal |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |date=December 2004 |volume=54 |issue=6 |pages=429–437 |doi=10.1111/j.1875-595X.2004.tb00300.x |doi-access=free |pmid=15633499}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Medicine}}
* [[Electric toothbrush]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Philips}}

[[Category:Philips products]]
[[Category:Personal care brands]]
[[Category:Oral hygiene]]
[[Category:Dental equipment]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1992]]