How to Change the Oral B Toothbrush Head? – Step-by-Step Guide

It’s important to change your electric toothbrush head for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s been a few months or you’re just getting over an illness, a new brush head is a primary difference between a thorough or non-thorough clean. But how do you actually replace the brush head, especially on an Oral B electric toothbrush?

Changing the toothbrush head for an Oral B toothbrush is a lot easier than you might think. Ideally, it should easily come apart with a gentle tug. The brush head and the handle connect to each other by a metal rod that protrudes from the handle. When removing and replacing the brush head, you should hear a slight “click.”

In this article, we’ll give you a detailed step-by-step guide for changing out your Oral B brush head. We’ll also tell you how to properly dispose of old brush heads, when to change the brush head, and how to maximize its lifespan.

Changing the Oral B Toothbrush Head: A Step-by-Step Guide

Changing out your Oral B toothbrush head is generally pretty easy. To do it properly, there are five simple things to remember: choosing the right brush head, removing the old one, making sure each part is clean and dry, reattaching, and testing the toothbrush.

Choose Your Ideal Brush Head

In regards to the shape of your Oral B electric toothbrush, you can interchange any model as long as it’s from the Oral B brand. You may be able to use another brand replacement head, but it isn’t guaranteed to fit with your toothbrush model.

The great thing about Oral B brush heads being interchangeable is that you can use different heads for different cleaning techniques. This means you can completely personalize your dental routine to fit your specific needs.

With that said, the Oral B iO model brush heads will only interchange with iO brushes. Any other Oral B brush head won’t fit an iO and iO brush heads won’t fit regular Oral B brushes. Despite that, there are ten different brush heads to choose from, so you should have no trouble finding what you need.

Remove the Old Brush Head

Removing the brush head is easy. All you need to do is firmly grasp the brush head with your fingers and tug to pull apart. The brush head connects to the handle by a metal rod, which will initiate a clicking sound when you disassemble and reassemble the brush.

Once you’ve removed the old brush head, make sure you dispose of it properly.

Make Sure the Area is Clean and Dry

Before connecting the new brush head, make sure the handle is clean and dry. If your toothbrush handle is due for a cleaning, dip a clean washcloth or a cotton pad into a mixture of bleach and water (10-parts water to 1-part bleach).

Use the cloth or pad to clean along the surface and the metal connection rod. The metal rod will have some hard-to-reach spaces, so it’s best to use a cotton swab dipped into your water/bleach mixture to get these tighter areas.

Dry the handle with a clean towel and then let it sit until all moisture is gone. Reconnecting while there’s still water present can lead to mold and mildew growth inside of the brush.

Connect the New Brush Head

Connection should be just as easy as disconnection was. Once your handle is completely dry, line up the new brush head with the metal rod on the handle. Push both parts together until you hear a definitive “click.” Make sure you heard the click because if not, it may not be connected all the way.

Test the Toothbrush After Connection

Before storing the toothbrush or using it after replacing the brush head, it’s helpful to turn the device on to see if it works. If everything is correct, the bristles should vibrate and the part that spins should be spinning. If you notice a part of it isn’t working, it’s possible the brush isn’t fully connected to the handle. You may also need to either charge the device or replace its batteries.

What to do When the Brush Head Gets Stuck

If you find that your brush head won’t come away from the handle, it’s possible that toothpaste buildup has created a seal that bound the brush head to the handle. For this, you should be able to solve the problem by running the top part of the brush under warm water for around ten seconds.

After running the brush head under water, give the brush head and handle a good tug and the head should break free from the handle. If not, you can repeat the process until you’re successful.

How to Dispose of Old Brush Heads?

Brush heads can’t be recycled and need to go in the regular trash. This causes them to contribute to ever-growing landfills, which has caused quite an issue with sustainability. To help with this problem, Oral-B and Crest have partnered up to help keep old brush heads out of landfills.

To participate in this Recycle On Us program, all you need to do is collect your old brush heads in a box as well as any other dental hygiene product that can’t normally be recycled. These items could be anything from old floss containers to empty toothpaste tubes.

Once your collection box is full, you print a shipping label provided by the company and then ship it to their recycling facility.

When to Change the Brush Head

Whether you use an electric or manual toothbrush, replacing them every 12 weeks or so is essential. Over time, brush bristles sustain wear and tear and they lose their integrity. This then results in a less thorough clean and diminishes the quality of the product (and your smile).

You should also be sure to replace your brush head if you notice someone else used your toothbrush, you or someone else in your house is/was sick, or if you notice the brush bristles are frayed or bent.

Parting Thoughts

It’s no secret that electric toothbrushes provide a far more thorough clean than their manual counterpart, but you need to replace your electric toothbrush just as often as a manual brush. However, instead of discarding the entire electric toothbrush, you simply dispose of the brush head and replace it with a new one.

Oral B electric toothbrushes, in particular, are great because most of the available Oral B brush heads are compatible with any Oral B electric toothbrush. On top of that, the design is incredibly straightforward and you simply just pull the two parts apart and click them back together.

Maintaining your electric toothbrush and replacing the brush head every three months or so are the best things you can do to maximize the longevity of your electric toothbrush. We hope this article has been helpful for you and makes the swapping process seem a little less intimidating.