In the Oral-B brush head aisle, the names pile up: CrossAction, Precision Clean, Sensitive Clean, FlossAction, 3D White, and for the iO, Ultimate Clean, Gentle Care and Radiant White. Behind those names there are only two questions: does the head fit your handle, and does it suit your teeth and gums? This guide answers both, type by type, and says for each one whether we offer a compatible head or not.
First the handle: two families that do not mix
Oral-B makes two fittings. Round heads clip onto the shaft of Vitality, Pro, Smart, Genius and Professional Care handles. iO heads have a fitting of their own: Oral-B states that they are designed for iO handles only, and a round head does not fit an iO. Pulsonic sonic brushes use yet another head, which we do not offer. So check the name on your handle before anything else. If you wonder how a generic head compares with an original one, our article on compatible brush heads answers that question; this one is about choosing the type.
Round heads: what each type is for
Here are the original types as Oral-B describes them, and what we offer alongside. Our heads are generic: neither made nor approved by Oral-B, they copy the fitting, and the brand names are only used here to say what they fit on.
- CrossAction: Oral-B’s bestselling round head, for a thorough everyday clean, with angled tufts. Compatible option: our criss-cross bristle heads, angled at 16° according to their maker, compatibility reference EB50.
- Precision Clean: an everyday head with straight tufts that cup the tooth. Compatible option: our everyday cleaning heads, the model their maker calls "Standard", with no special function.
- Sensitive Clean: finer, softer bristles for sensitive teeth and gums. Compatible option: our soft heads, the "Soft" model from the same range.
- FlossAction, 3D White, Ortho: specialised heads (between teeth, surface stains, braces). We have no compatible equivalent.
- A head of its own: our centre-tuft heads have a flower pattern around a core of bristles; their maker publishes neither material nor stiffness, so we claim no particular effect for them. It is an everyday head with a different design.
iO heads: three original types
For the iO, Oral-B offers Ultimate Clean for everyday use, Gentle Care with extra-soft bristles for sensitive gums, and Radiant White for surface stains. Our iO compatible heads are soft, with rounded ends according to their maker, for the iO 2 to iO 10: they are closest in use to a Gentle Care. We have no equivalent of Ultimate Clean or Radiant White.
Which head for whom
- Sensitive gums, or gums that bleed a little when brushing: a soft head, placed without pressing, letting the brush do the work. Bleeding that lasts deserves your dentist’s opinion, whatever the head.
- No particular concern: a standard or criss-cross head, depending on the feel you prefer. Criss-cross bristles feel more vigorous, without a clear difference in results having been shown.
- Coffee or tea stains: a head does not change the colour of teeth. The toothpaste works on surface deposits, such as our Anti-Coffee Stains toothpaste, with a soft head so you do not scrub hard.
- Braces or an appliance: a round head struggles around brackets; add an interdental brush or a water flosser, as our guide to brushing with braces explains.
- Children: a small soft head that suits a small mouth. Our Oral-B compatible kids heads fit Kids and Stages Power handles (type EB10), not the iO.
- A family sharing one handle: one head per person, never shared. All our round heads carry a coloured ring so everyone recognises their own.
The type matters less than the technique
The specialist site Electric Teeth, which tested Oral-B heads one by one, sums it up: no head gives clearly better results than another; technique, time and regularity matter more. In practice: two minutes, morning and evening, holding the head on each tooth for a few seconds along the gumline, without scrubbing or pressing. An oscillating-rotating brush makes the movement for you; if you are still torn between that principle and sonic, our sonic or oscillating-rotating comparison sets it out.
The toothpaste does the rest: a 1450 ppm fluoride toothpaste, such as our Classic Mint, then spit without rinsing heavily, to leave the fluoride on your teeth.
When to change the head
Oral-B recommends a new head every three months; the American Dental Association says three to four months, sooner if the bristles splay. That holds for every type, original or compatible. A head with flattened bristles cleans less well, and the signs that a head is worn are easy to spot. To avoid running out, a pack of heads covers several quarters; all our formats are in our Oral-B and Sonicare compatible heads range.
Your questions about Oral-B brush head types
What is the difference between CrossAction and Precision Clean?
CrossAction has angled tufts that cross, Precision Clean has straight tufts that cup the tooth. Both are for everyday cleaning; the difference in results is small, so choose by feel.
Does a Sensitive head clean less well?
It is gentler, not less useful: it is the recommended head for sensitive gums. Held on each tooth for two minutes, it does its job without irritating.
Do round heads fit an Oral-B iO?
No. The iO has its own fitting: only heads designed for the iO fit it. The other way round, an iO head does not fit a Vitality, Pro, Smart or Genius handle.
Should a soft head be changed more often?
No, the rhythm stays at about three months, sooner if the bristles splay. Pressing hard wears out every head faster, soft or not.
In short
- The handle decides first: round heads for Vitality, Pro, Smart and Genius, iO heads for the iO, nothing interchangeable.
- Sensitive gums: a soft head; otherwise, standard or criss-cross depending on the feel.
- For stains, it is the toothpaste that works, not the head.
- One head per person, changed every three months.
- Our heads are generic and compatible, neither made nor approved by Oral-B.