How often should you really replace your brush head?

The bristles on any brush head wear out. Frayed, splayed bristles lose the fine tips that sweep plaque out of the gumline, so an old head does a little less with every pass, and the ragged edges are more likely to irritate soft tissue.

The standard advice holds up: swap your head about every three months. Brushing twice a day, that is roughly when the bristles start to bend and lose their shape. If you have been ill in between, change it early so you are not re-introducing anything.

You do not need a calendar to catch it. Look at the bristles head on. If they flare out past the base or look matted and grey at the tips, they are past their best. Many heads also carry a colour band that fades as a built-in reminder.

The easy fix is to keep spares on hand. Our AuraHeads four pack covers a full year on the standard schedule, so the next fresh head is always in the drawer instead of on a shopping list.