How often should you replace an electric toothbrush head?

Brush heads are among the easiest products to forget, because a worn head still looks usable. The bristles, however, lose their shape long before the head looks broken.

The short answer

Around every three months, which is about every twelve weeks, is the interval most dental guidance and most manufacturers point to for a brush used twice a day.

Replace sooner if

• The bristles are bent outwards or flattened.
• The colour indicator on the bristles has faded.
• You brush harder than average, which wears bristles faster.
• You have been ill, in which case many dentists suggest a fresh head.

Why worn bristles matter

Splayed bristles no longer reach along the gum line properly, so plaque removal drops even though brushing time stays the same. Replacing on time is a small, cheap correction to a daily habit.

Making it automatic

A twelve-week cycle is exactly the kind of interval nobody tracks reliably. It is the type of product restoqed. is built around: set the routine once, and the replacement arrives when it is due.