Want to trade in your manual toothbrush for a more effective electric one? Well, you’ve got lots to choose from. (Seriously, a lot.) So here’s a comprehensive comparison of Oral-B electric toothbrush heads. Let’s help you choose the one that’s right for you.

What are all the types of Oral-B electric toothbrush heads?

iO Ultimate Clean

The iO Ultimate Clean brush head has dense, tufted duel-length bristles that reach deep between teeth to clean the harder-to-reach areas of your mouth. This makes it effective for removing plaque and everyday cleaning.

iO Gentle Care

The Gentle Care head has extra-flexible soft bristles that bend with the shapes of your teeth, making it a good choice for sensitive teeth and gums. It’s worth noting that if you choose an Oral-B electric toothbrush from the iO range, the Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care heads are your only two options.

Charcoal

Charcoal is a natural solution for removing surface stains on teeth. The charcoal-infused head is designed with cup-shaped bristles for very good tooth coverage and whitening ability. The Charcoal head offers a tooth-by-tooth clean to make certain fewer stains are left behind. It’s great if you want an extra boost of whitening while also getting a deep and thorough clean.

CrossAction

The CrossAction brush head has angled bristles designed to remove the greatest amount of plaque – up to 5x more than a manual brush can. This head will give you an intensive, superior clean and includes protection technology designed to improve your brush head’s longevity.

Floss Action

Gum care is the top priority with the FlossAction brush head. It has unique bristles that simulate flossing to loosen plaque and maintain better gum health. One thing though: the FlossAction brush doesn’t replace actual flossing (sorry!), which you still need to do for good oral health.

Sensitive Clean

The Sensitive Clean is similar to the iO Gentle Care brush head but is compatible with all Oral-B electric toothbrushes with the exception of the iO and Sonic. This head offers very good cleaning for extra-sensitive teeth, for those customers who don’t wish to splash out on a fancy iO model.

Precision Clean

The Precision Clean brush head ensures your teeth are protected from plaque build-up around the gum line. This one targets specific areas of your teeth that require extra thoroughness and care.

Sensi Ultra-Thin

With ultra-thin, flexible, tapered bristles alongside regular bristles, the Sensi UltraThin offers an intensive clean that isn’t abrasive on sensitive gums. This head is a new and improved upgrade from older sensitive brush heads like the Oral-B Pro Gumcare.

3D White

The Oral-B 3D White brush head features a polishing cup in the brush’s center that gently buffs away surface stains to whiten your smile. If you want fast-acting whitening, this brush provides noticeably whiter teeth, typically within two weeks of regular use.

Trizone

The Trizone brush head is great for making the transition between manual and electric brushing. It allows you to brush traditionally in the way you’re used to, while still delivering the improved results of an electric brush.

Orthocare

The Oral-B Orthocare brush is designed especially for people who wear braces or fixed retainers on their teeth. A great choice for a specialized task, this brush cleans around braces better than a standard brush head.

Power Tip Interspace

Recommended for those who’ve had restorative dental work, the Power Tip Interspace brush carefully reaches around even the tiniest crevices to clean your entire mouth effectively. It’s designed for people with crowns, bridges, implants – or anyone who needs additional help in reaching every space between their teeth.

Pro-Health Stages and Pro-Health Junior

The Oral-B Pro-Health Junior toothbrush head provides gentle cleaning and is a great choice for your child’s first experience with electric brushing. It works with the Pro-Health Junior electric toothbrush, which encourages children to brush their teeth longer and more effectively. These brush bristles also have fade technology, causing them to change color to indicate when it’s time for the brush head to be replaced.

Which electric toothbrush head is best?

While there are loads of options, all Oral-B brush heads are guaranteed to give you an effective clean with proper use. They’re seriously all good options. 

That being said, if you’re looking for the best everyday brush for general cleaning, the iO Ultimate Clean or CrossAction brush heads are bestsellers for plaque removal, breath freshening, and all-around deep clean.

If you’re still unsure which brush head to go with, book an appointment and talk to a dentist. Once you find your very own dentist, he or she can offer recommendations for your concerns.

Are Oral-B electric toothbrush heads interchangeable?

Yes, indeed, Oral-B electric toothbrush heads are interchangeable (with some exceptions noted below). This allows you to experiment with different heads until you find the one you like best. And if you’re sharing a brush base with a partner, there’s also the added benefit of choosing different heads to suit your respective needs.

Note there are a few exceptions to the rule of interchangeability with Oral-B heads. Pulsonic and iO models can only use the brush heads created specifically for their respective makes. There are different brush head options to choose from within their specific lines. Another thing is that some older Oral-B models, like the discontinued Oral-B Sonic range, are unlikely to be compatible with the newer heads.

How often should I replace my electric toothbrush head?

Every three to four months is the time-frame promoted by the American Dental Association. But use your own judgment to decide when it’s time to swap out your brush head. Ensure your bristles aren’t  visibly frayed or worn out. If they are, your head is due for a change sooner than recommended. Frayed bristles aren’t as effective because they can lead to poorer cleaning and increased plaque buildup.

To increase the life of your electric toothbrush head, make sure to properly clean and take care of it. Don’t press too hard when you brush your teeth (your dentist will tell you you don’t need to anyway), because this will damage the bristles and decrease how well the head cleans. Also, remember to  rinse off any remaining toothpaste after brushing, then store it upright to air-dry. And don’t store your brush in a closed container (like a travel case) because that promotes microbial growth. Just leave it out.

Can generic electric toothbrush heads be as effective as Oral-B toothbrush heads?

Due to their cheaper price, you might be tempted to buy generic, off-brand brush head refills instead of the official Oral-B heads. There are, however, some drawbacks to generic brush heads.

Oral-B is the leading dentist-recommended brand worldwide and known for its high-quality toothbrush heads. They’re also created specifically to fit with their bases. Any warranty offered by Oral-B will be voided if a non-Oral-B toothbrush head is used and causes damage to the base.

Plus, generic toothbrush heads vary in quality and their effectiveness is not guaranteed. So while you might save some money on your refills, there are no promises how well they’ll protect your teeth. It’s best just to stick to a trusted electric toothbrush brand like Oral-B or Philips Sonicare.

Are electric toothbrush heads recyclable?

Surprise, yes they are, depending where you live, thanks to recent developments in specialized recycling programs. But you will have to take a few extra steps to recycle them properly. If you toss your old brush heads in regular recycling, they’ll be sorted out and tossed into landfill.

Oral-B and Crest sponsor the “Brush. Rinse. Repeat.” program for recycling oral care products. Collect your old toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and floss boxes and you can mail them to a sorting facility using a free shipping label.

Where can I buy electric toothbrush heads?

Online? Amazon’s got lots of options. Prefer going to a store? Check out Best Buy and Walmart, both of which sell Oral-B toothbrushes. If you’re not sure where to go, check out the Oral-B replacements webpage and click on ‘find a retailer’ beneath the specific toothbrush head you want to buy. And of course, you can also visit a dentist near you, as many dental offices offer toothbrushes and toothbrush heads to their clients.

So yes, lots to digest here. There’s no single right choice for everyone, only the best toothbrush head to suit your individual needs. Look into your options, try out a few styles, and take your dental health into your own hands.