As you walk down the aisle of any convenience store, the sheer number of choices of toothbrushes and toothpastes can overwhelm you.    Here are a few important considerations in choosing a toothbrush:

• We recommend a soft bristle toothbrush.  Soft bristles remove plaque effectively, but are gentler on your child’s gums and teeth than medium or hard bristles.  This will ensure you don’t irritate the gums while brushing
• Choose a toothbrush head size that is appropriate for your child’s age.   Young children have much smaller mouths than adults do, so try to choose a toothbrush with an age-appropriate brush head size. 
• Is an electric toothbrush better?    New studies are coming out that show electric toothbrushes may in fact be more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush.   However, there are a few things to consider…
  • Not all electric toothbrushes are equally effective- look for a toothbrush that has the ADA seal of approval to ensure it is of good quality.
  • We do not typically recommend electric toothbrushes for children under three as the small parts can dislodge and become a choking hazard.
  • Parental assistance is still important.    Regardless of the type of toothbrush your child is using, we still recommend you help your child.     Supervise or brush for your child until your child is about 8 years old!  This way you can be sure your child is systematic and is brushing properly.   After that, we recommend “spot-checking” periodically to be sure they are removing all of the plaque.
  • Toothbrushes with built in timers are great as they ensure kids are brushing for 2 minutes.