The title is a bit of an exaggeration.
Why do corporations change shampoo and toothbrushes so often? I’ll go through 10 different shampoos and toothbrushes, then find ones I like. I’ll probably be able to purchase them again a few times before the ones I like are no longer available.
What are the forces driving manufacturer’s to change their basic wares so often? Besides Wall St. greed, that is?
Electric are worse. You should still replace the heads regularly, but now you’re dependent on the specific company continuing to support your toothbrush
The Oral B knockoffs can be had for about $1 each or less. They have models that use the same heads for almost 20 years.
This - get the no-brand replacement heads. No way would I spend the prices Oral-B are asking.
Sometimes the big brands can end up as better device purchases, since despite being more expensive upfront, there are plenty of cheap third-party consumables available.