Oral-B is a world leader in oral hygiene products. The company designs and manufactures award-winning (that’s no exaggeration) electric toothbrushes that have garnered the endorsement of thousands of dental professionals, and the praise of millions of clean-toothed, bright-smiled consumers.
The toothbrushes are often the focus of discussion – and why wouldn’t they be, with their sleek designs, high-performance motors and feature-rich technologies? But for now, let’s shift our attention to something smaller, more humble, yet no less important: Oral-B’s electric toothbrush heads – those highly engineered bundles of bristles that transform a toothbrush from an amalgamation of plastic, circuitry and moving parts into a tooth-cleaning powerhouse!
Oral-B toothbrush heads are interchangeable across all of their range of electric toothbrushes – newer and older, with the exception of the iO Series, which have their own two heads that only fit iO models.
Here is an overview of Oral-B’s entire range of toothbrush heads:
The Seven Types of Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Heads
Oral-B manufactures seven primary types of toothbrush heads: CrossAction, Sensitive, Precision Clean, Floss Action, 3D White, TriZone, and now iO Series heads. Though they’re all designed to give you clean teeth and healthy gums, which one you choose depends on your needs – so keep reading to learn more!
CrossAction heads are so named because their CrissCross bristles are set at opposing 16-degree angles. This allows them to clean the gumline – which is very important for preventing gum disease – and reach into those deep spaces between teeth where ordinary toothbrushes can’t go.
In fact, the CrossAction’s unique design, with its comfortable, rounded head and angled bristles, removes up to 100% more plaque than an ordinary toothbrush.
Sensitive heads are perfect for those whose teeth and gums don’t tolerate regular toothbrushes. The Sensitive toothbrush head is made with bristles that are soft to the touch, yet tough on the plaque, removing up to twice as much as an ordinary toothbrush.
The round head design allows the bristles to oscillate and rotate for maximum cleaning power without irritation, which makes these heads a great choice for post-surgery, periodontal disease and dental implant patients, as well as those with sensitive teeth.
Precision Clean heads feature MicroPulse bristles that allow you to clean even the deepest, hardest-to-reach spots between your teeth, removing up to 100% more plaque than with an ordinary toothbrush. Oral-B’s Precision Clean heads rotate and oscillate at a dentist-approved speed, leaving teeth and gums healthy and clean.
Floss Action heads are a premium-quality Oral-B product. Their professionally designed MicroPulse bristles reach far between teeth, providing a floss-like clean that far surpasses even the most thorough manual brushing. Compared to regular Oral-B heads, Floss Action heads are slightly larger, allowing more surface contact and faster cleaning action.
Related: Top Family Water Flossers
3D White heads were inspired by the same tools you’ll find in a dentist’s office. Just like other Oral-B toothbrush heads, 3D White heads feature high-quality bristles – in this case, an arrangement of cylindrical and flattened bristle-bunches – which do the bulk of the work. In addition, a yellow rubber polishing cup helps to scrub away surface stains for a brilliant smile.
TriZone heads are the easiest-to-use Oral-B electric toothbrush head – they feature three multi-coloured bristle zones, which not only clean teeth and gums from every angle but allow you to brush in a manner similar to using a regular toothbrush. The difference, of course – as with all Oral-B toothbrush heads – is a superior cleaning action that removes up to 100% more plaque.
Back teeth are notoriously difficult to clean. TriZone heads contain a moving power tip that reaches even the trickiest areas, while the long stationary bristles squeeze between teeth and clean twice as deeply as a normal toothbrush. Shorter stationary bristles finish off the job by thoroughly cleaning tooth surfaces.
iO electric toothbrush heads are Oral-B’s latest offering and are shaped differently – work exclusively with iO Series of toothbrushes (Series 7, 8, 9). There are just two heads available for the new iO – Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care. The Oral-B app will let you know when their brush heads need to be changed.
The Ultimate Clean toothbrush heads are suited for everyday brushing and feature unique Tuft-in-Tuft bristles that are designed for optimal surface and interdental teeth cleaning.
Gentile Care refill heads have an outer ring of cushioning bristles and straight standing 5mm inter brushes that offer a gentler brush for sensitive teeth and gums. The inner bristles fit snugly around teeth, but don’t have the crisscross angles of as seen on the Ultimate Clean heads.
Replacing Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Heads
All Oral-B electric toothbrush heads feature Indicator bristles, which fade halfway through their lifespan (approximately three to four months), reminding you when it’s time to replace the head. Putting a fresh head on your toothbrush is easy. It’s also hygienic, and ensures your teeth and gums stay as clean and healthy as possible.
Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Head Compatibility
All the Oral-B replacement heads discussed (with the exception of iO) – CrossAction, Sensitive, Precision Clean, Floss Action, 3D White and TriZone – are compatible and can be changed with the following Oral-B electric toothbrushes:
- Oral-B SmartSeries
- Oral-B PRO
- Oral-B Genius
- Oral-B Old Triumph
- Oral-B Vitality (but not Vitality Sonic)
- Oral-B iO have two heads available that are only compatible with iO Series toothbrushes.
If you’re serious about maintaining your oral health at home – and you should be – use an Oral-B electric toothbrush. Choose a compatible head that best suits your needs, brushes twice daily and replace the toothbrush head regularly. Your mouth will thank you!
