Picking a brush head for your Oral-B iO toothbrush is more complicated than
it needs to be. At the time of recording, there are 4 different styles to choose from.
Your options are:
Ultimate Clean Gentle Care
Radiant White And Specialised Clean
They have varying bristle patterns to achieve slightly different goals,
but it is the Gentle Care and Ultimate Clean that are our top choices.
In this video, I will explain the differences between each so that
you can make a more informed purchasing decision.
Hey, it's Jon from Electric Teeth here.
I want you to make the right choice. But it isn’t worth worrying too
much about whether you opt for the Ultimate Clean or Gentle Care head.
It is more important to brush twice a day for 2 minutes each time with the correct technique.
You will gain greater benefit from improving your
brushing time and technique than picking one particular brush head.
None of these heads will deliver great results if you haven’t perfected your oral care routine.
If you are new to an electric toothbrush, be sure you familiarise yourself with the
correct brushing technique, because believe it or not, it is different to a manual toothbrush.
Many question the need for differing styles of brush heads and I don’t blame you.
In reality, there is little need for them. Whilst
there can be benefits from using a particular head,
as a general rule you are not going to gain any significant advantage from one style vs another.
And far as I am aware, there is little to no clinical evidence to really
support the need for multiple different styles.
There may well be some instances where based on your personal circumstances a particular
style will be better, but for the average person, the differences are likely negligible.
Using the Radiant White head won’t transform dull,
yellow stained teeth to shiny pearly whites overnight. And more than likely
you will get similar results with the Ultimate clean or Gentle Care head.
Dental professionals typically prefer that patients like you and I use softer bristled
heads as this limits the impact on the teeth and gums if we brush too hard or incorrectly.
As a result the Gentle Care is the best choice for many. It has the
softest bristles of all the iO heads available.
The Ultimate Clean is still a recommended alternative. The bristles are a little firmer but
may provide a more invigorating clean for some. If you know you have sensitive teeth and gums or
brush too hard, or maybe you have gum recession, you might want to stick to the Gentle Care head.
It is important to note that the iO heads fit only the iO brush handles. They are not
compatible with the likes of the Vitality, Pro, Smart and Genius models that Oral-B produces. The
heads they use are similar but different in their attachment to the brush handle.
This does too mean that Oral-B heads designed for other models
are not compatible with the iO Series.
Despite having manufactured electric toothbrushes for many years, with the
introduction of the iO Series handles in 2020 came a new brush head fitting.
If you are an existing Oral-B electric toothbrush user,
your brush heads are unlikely to fit unless you are using the iO handle and heads already.
To fit and remove the heads, simply push the head onto the handle and pull it off. They only fit one
way. The tips of the bristles should be facing the same direction as the front of the brush handle.
You should hear them click into place. There is no twisting or locking into place required.
All of the iO heads are interchangeable. This means that you can use any head on any
iO brush handle. You can too use any head with any of the cleaning modes.
Another small difference to note is that where Oral-B’s other brush heads have removable coloured
rings at the bottom to identify whose head is whose, the iO Series doesn’t have this. Instead,
different icons are printed on the lower front edge of the head. There
are 12 different icons. They aren’t quite as obvious but achieve the same results.
When the iO Series was first introduced it was only the Ultimate Clean and Gentle Care
heads that were available. It wasn’t until 2 years later that the Radiant
White and Personalised Clean heads were added to the range.
If you are familiar with Oral-B’s range of brush heads, that don’t fit the iO Series,
the 4 different styles now available are equivalent to those available for non iO handles.
The Ultimate Clean is the equivalent to the CrossAction head.
Gentle Care is the equivalent to the Sensi UltraThin or Pro GumCare.
Radiant White is equivalent to 3D White.
And Specialised Clean is equivalent to the Interspace or PowerTip.
All of the iO Series heads are round in shape. This is what Oral-B are known for.
The heads move back and forth rapidly when in use in what is referred to as
an oscillating and rotating motion. The heads do not complete a full 360 degree rotation.
There is a movement to the head called micro-vibrations. This is
essentially a pulse like movement that goes through the bristles to give them
a bit of a forward and back motion and adds an extra dimension to the cleaning.
So, taking a closer look at each brush head then.
It is the ultimate clean head that is most typically
supplied as standard with an iO brush handle.
It is suited to most users and gives a good overall clean. I certainly haven’t been
disappointed. It is cliche, but you do get that invigorating dentist clean feeling after use.
The head has what Oral-B refers to as a tuft
in tuft structure that aims to reach deeper between the teeth.
There are 6 of these on the outer edge of the head.
Take a close look and you can see how there are
longer bristles in the centre of the tuft and shorter ones around them.
In the centre of the brush head, are a further 7 tufts,
6 of which are grouped around a single tuft right in the centre.
All bar the central tuft are angled at 16 degrees
to offer effective plaque removal from the teeth and along the gumline.
The bristles are a mix of white and blue in colour and the very tip of every single
nylon bristle has been rounded so that they are softer and less abrasive on the teeth and gums.
The heads come in both black and white colour options. The number
of heads in a pack does depend, but 2 and 4 packs are generally widely sold.
The Gentle Care head offers the softest bristles in the iO range.
This head is suitable for everyday use and will be particularly appealing to those
who suffer with sensitivity and gum recession.
You don’t get the same cleaning intensity from this head as you do the Ultimate Clean,
but that is to be expected. It doesn’t mean the cleaning results are less effective though.
I certainly can’t complain based on my use. It is the head I use on my iO brush handle.
The 4000 bristles that make up the 13 tufts are not angled on this head.
6 tufts of cushioning bristles form the outer edge.
Inside sit a further 7 tufts, 6 of which are grouped around a single tuft right in the centre.
I understand that this head uses the smallest diameter bristle filaments of any Oral-B head.
The bristles are white and light blue in colour. Each of the tips of the nylon bristles
has been rounded so that they are softer and less abrasive on the teeth and gums.
You can buy the Gentle Care heads in White colour only at the time of recording. I
don’t understand why they are not available in black to match some of the iO brush handles.
Typically the heads are sold as a pack or 2 or 4.
The Radiant White brush head uses a combination of 6 bristle tufts and 5 polishing petals to
buff away stains on the outer tooth surface, to make your teeth appear brighter and whiter.
5 larger tufts of bristles create a rounded edge to this small circular brush head.
They are made up of 3 different coloured bristles (white, lilac and dark blue).
The bristles are angled so that the white and lilac appear longer than the dark blue
ones. This angling helps to make the overall cleaning of this brush head that bit better.
The inner ‘polishing petals’ as Oral-B calls them are not nylon bristles they
are instead made of a rubber/silicone type material. They have a wider profile to them,
with a tapered tip. They are designed to mimic the polishing cup found on
professional dental tools to help give that brighter shine to the tooths surface.
The petals wrap around a large inner tuft of bristles.They are cut to the
same height as the petals, sitting a little lower than the outer bristles on the head.
Like other Oral-B heads, the tips of each bristle has been rounded for a better brushing sensation.
Although aimed at those wishing to whiten their teeth,
you can certainly use this on a daily basis for everyday cleaning.
You can buy the Radiant White heads in white colour only at the time of recording.
The heads are typically sold in packs of 2,
but you might also find packs of 4 and 6 available too.
The remaining head is the Specialised Clean.
As the name implies this is certainly more specific in its design and is not a head
the vast majority of users will need to consider.
It has been specially designed to clean around hard to reach areas in the mouth.
Those with fixed braces,
dental implants or misaligned teeth are ideally suited to using this head.
Looking quite different to most other brush heads,
3 outer bristle tufts sit around a taller single inner tuft. The 3 outer tufts are blue in colour,
longer in length and angled to create a kind of tip as they lean into the center
of the round brush head where you find the cluster of white bristles.
It can be used daily but is not designed for an all over clean of the teeth. It
is specifically designed to be used in addition to the likes of the Ultimate Clean
or Gentle Care head to reach more awkward locations that a normal head just won’t.
You can buy these heads in white colour only at the time of recording.
The heads are typically sold in packs of 2 only.
It is recommended to replace the heads every 3 months, as twice daily use over
this time will reduce the effectiveness of the clean as the bristles become worn.
If the bristles are obviously slayed or damaged before this time replace the head sooner.
Fading indicator bristles are included on the Ultimate Clean head only.
Blue bristles will fade to a more pale blue or almost translucent colour over this time.
The change in colour is designed to be a guide and reminder that the head requires replacement.
However iO brush handles will now typically alert and remind you.
Depending on your model the notification comes via the in handle display or a light
being lit on the handle. The smartphone application will also make you aware.
If using the app, you can monitor the usage time as
and when you desire. It tracks the days and minutes of use.
If you have any questions about the heads, by all means, leave a comment.
Linked in the description below is a written article that accompanies this video and goes
into more detail about Oral-B brush heads. There are too links to buy.