After 8 months of use once a day by one mature adult the toothbrush failed completely. It will not even turn on. I would not recommend the e5500 Power Toothbrush to anyone.

I ordered my Sonicare 3 months ago. I believed the first unit to be defective because the toothbrush head would not screw on to the base flush. This would cause a lot of bacteria to build up so I sent for a replacement. Amazon was great about sending a new one right out and I received it within a couple days. Unfortunately, the new one had the same problem, but not as bad, so I went and ordered the Sonic Seal. If it weren't for the this miracle little seal I definitely would have returned this brush because the gunk that builds up is so disgusting. The last thing I want to add to my 'to do' list is 'clean toothbrush' !!!
I don't understand how Philips can justify selling such a cheaply manufactured brush at this high of a cost.

Well, it's 3 months later and I am happy to report that my teeth and gums are healthier than they have ever been. My teeth are much brighter and my gums don't bleed anymore. I don't floss less, but I"m noticing that when I floss, there is less build up after brushing. I brush 2-3 times a day and have only charged my brush 3 times in the past 3 months. Even better, the brush itself is still in good shape. I think some reviewer's brushes get worn out so quickly because they are brushing their teeth too hard. You aren't supposed to use the sonicare like a standard toothbrush because it will lead to the degeneration of your gums! Even though I feel like I shouldn't support Phillips for misleading their customers, the sonicare, for now, has held up to it's end of the bargain. I only hope that it will last more than 2 years.

This is my third sonicare, so I obviously like this product overall and how it performs. The one thing I don't care for on this model is that the handle is a bit too thick, in that it feels large in my hand (and I'm a 5'8" woman), so if you're smaller than me, it might seem uncomfortably large for you, too. I believe one of their other models has a more streamlined handle.

The other thing is that you need to be careful about how you push the little round rubber on/off disc. DO NOT USE YOUR NAIL IN ANY WAY. The only reason we had to buy a new one was that the button got wrecked and pushed into the handle so that we couldn't access it anymore. Mind you, this took about a year and a half or more to happen, but if it had been a better design it wouldn't have happened at all. If you're careful to use just the soft part of your finger you should be okay.

The sonic toothbrush is pretty good it works for me doesn't grind your gum to the bone and does a pretty good job and yes flossing is still a must but all in all the sonic has a 2min timer shuts off,, charges well and holds a good charge for a pretty long time,,,it's good wish I had one about 20 years ago,,

I bought this for my husband, but found myself using it more than he does. Lol.

The handle fits well in the hand; the brush(es) are easily interchangeable and screw on tightly. It charges quickly. We usually store the handle on the charger, so I can't say too much about the battery life, though it has lasted well over 2 days for us. I've even noticed that, with daily use, the brush seems to remove the slight plaque build-up you can sometimes get inbetween dentist visits.

As others have said, the vibrations take a little getting used to, and you've got to be careful to keep your lips closed (otherwise you'll spend a lot of time cleaning the sink and counter and cabinet and mirror.) But after a very short amount of time you'll be wondering how you thought your teeth were clean with using a brush. I tell you, that polished feeling is addictive!