You should replace your toothbrush at least every three months. If you use a manual brush, you have to replace the whole thing but with an Oral-B electric toothbrush, you can just replace the head. The head needs replacing because the toothbrush gets worn and the bristles start to splay out. When this happens, the toothbrush will not clean as effectively and plaque (a soft build up of bacteria) will be left on your teeth. There are so many choices when you come to buy replacement heads that it can be impossible to choose. We’ve asked our dentist, Andrew Wilson, to explain which Oral-B replacement heads you want and why.
Okay, let’s make this really simple. I’m going to tell you the best head to buy for 90% of people and why. Then I’ll talk you through the different heads that Oral-B make so that you have information on each of them.
I think that by far the best Oral-B replacement head is the Cross Action brush. It’s a nice, small head so that you can get into tight spaces in your mouth. The bristles go in all different directions to remove the maximum amount of plaque as the head rotates. This is the one that almost everyone should be using and this is the brush head that I use myself.
- Oral-B Round head cleans between the teeth: Bristles angled at 16 Degrees to penetrate deep between the teeth for a dentist clean
- 100 Percent more plaque removal: Round brush heads clean each tooth precisely resulting in more dental plaque removal vs manual toothbrush
- Up to 1 year supply: original brush head fades indicating when to change; typically change required after 3 months for optimal performance
- Compatible: Toothbrush is compatible with all genuine Oral-B electric toothbrushes
- Oral-B the No.1 brand: Used by dentists and approved by the Oral Health Foundation
Okay, let’s go through the other brush heads that are available. Next up is the Precision Clean Oral-B replacement head. I like this one because, again, it’s a small head so you can clean those areas that are hard to reach. This head is absolutely fine. I just don’t think it’s quite as good as the Cross Action brush.
Then we have the Floss Action brush. It’s hard to tell from the photos but this head is much bulkier than the Cross Action or the Precision Clean. For that reason, I don’t like it. I think the little plastic bits that are supposed to get between your teeth are useless. There is no replacement for actually cleaning between your teeth with either floss or interdental brushes. I would personally recommend that you avoid the Floss Action heads.
Here we have the Oral-B Trizone. No, no, no. Way too big. This is designed for people who have swapped onto an electric toothbrush but still want something that looks like a manual brush. Please do not buy this. You would be so much better off with the Cross Action replacement head. This Trizone head is too big and you’re not going to be able to clean your back teeth effectively.
Please NEVER buy this one. The Oral-B Vitality Dual Clean head. This thing is flipping massive. I think this was designed to clean horses’ teeth, not humans. Do not buy this, please, please, please. Way too big, you will never get it far enough back to get your molar teeth clean.
Can you believe how many different heads there are? This is the Sensitive head. The bristles are ultra soft to give a gentle clean. I’m not sure who these are designed for. I guess that if you have sensitive teeth then this Oral-B Sensitive head may be more comfortable but using a sensitive toothpaste is going to help much more than a soft bristled electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can feel quite aggressive when you’re not used to them but all of the Oral-b brushes tell you when you are pushing too hard. My concern with this softer brush is that it may not remove as much plaque as my favourite brush, the Cross Action. If you have concerns about sensitivity, by all means, give it a try.
Finally, we have the 3D White Oral-B replacement head. The idea is that this brush has a polishing head to give you whiter teeth. The first thing to mention is that no toothbrush can whiten your teeth. Brushing your teeth can remove stain and that is what this toothbrush head is trying to do. I think this works okay. I used to use this head and it’s alright. However, I found that when I swapped to the Cross Action head, it removed even more stain.
For me, the winner is the Cross Action Oral-B replacement head every time. It’s what I use myself, having tried every one of the heads mentioned above. It’s great for plaque and stain removal. It’s comfortable and it has a small head so that you can clean those awkward spaces at the back of your mouth. The Cross Action head is by far the best in my eyes.
Electric toothbrush and replacement head bargain!
We have found an amazing deal on Amazon for you. They offer a bundle which includes the best electric toothbrush on the market at the moment (Oral-B Pro 2 2500N) and the best replacement heads (Oral-B Cross Action) as recommended by us at The Online Dentist. If you want to know why this is the best electric toothbrush on the market, read our article.
- Oral-B Pro 2500 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush Powered by Braun - Black (Packaging May Vary)
- Oral-B CrossAction Electric Toothbrush Replacement Heads - Pack of 4
Make sure when buying replacement heads, they are compatible with the toothbrush that you have. The Cross Action head is compatible with the entire line up of Oral-B electric toothbrushes apart from the Oral-B sonic toothbrushes.
Have you noticed the little coloured bands at the bottom of the head, where it joins the body of the toothbrush? These little coloured bands can be swapped over so that you choose the colour and can identify your toothbrush. This is really handy if your share the toothbrush with other people in the family and need to make sure that no one is using your toothbrush head.
Fake toothbrush heads
You can buy assorts on the internet as I am sure you know. You can buy unofficial Oral-B toothbrush heads but this is not a good idea. They may be cheaper but the quality varies a lot. For the sake of a few pounds, I would recommend always going for the official Oral-B heads. The official heads are heavily researched and tested, giving you a product you a product that you can trust to protect your teeth. The other thing to mention is fake copies of toothbrush heads. People sell these on E-Bay and, again, these really should be avoided. They won’t clean as well and they won’t last as long. If you buy the official Oral-B heads from a reputable seller like Amazon, it may save you time and money at the dentist in future.
Andrew Wilson (GDC number 209563) is the winner of Best Young Dentist in the UK 2017. He is an award winning dentist working in central London as well as ITV News’ dentist expert. Andrew is not affiliated with any other company. This article represents Andrew’s opinion on what are the best toothbrush heads available from Oral-B in 2018.