Replacement heads: the bill after the handle
Change the head about every three months, and check the fit before you fall in love with a handle. The ADA's public guidance is three months, or sooner when bristles splay. Four heads a year is the number this site uses for ownership math.
What fits what?
| Handle family | Heads that fit | About each |
|---|---|---|
| Oral-B iO, any series | iO heads only | $8 to $10 |
| Oral-B Pro, Smart, Genius | Classic round Oral-B heads. Not iO. | About $5 |
| Philips Sonicare click-on | C2, C3, G3, W, A3 and other click-on heads. Not old screw-on. | $8 to $12 |
| Dyson CameraJet | Dyson dual-bristle heads, RFID | About $15, sold in pairs near $30 |
| Quip Ultra Lite | EasyClick pods only | $5 to $8 |
| Waterpik Sonic-Fusion | Flossing brush heads | About $12, and they do two jobs |
A $50 Pro 1000 with $20 of heads a year can beat a $90 iO on a three-year bill. The database column "Heads / yr" is that argument in one sort.
Are off-brand heads fine?
Sometimes, and you give up the wear reminder and the bristle spec the brand tested. We do not have a lab number for third-party iO heads. If the head is the thing touching gum, genuine is the conservative buy. The money you save is real. So is the chance the ring of bristles is stiffer than the one the pressure sensor was tuned around.