Graduating from baby/infant oral care to kids’ oral care can be tricky.
You want to find effective products that will encourage and motivate the child to maintain their dental health.
As children start to establish their own independence, you want to ensure the best oral health for your child.
Below are the resources I encourage parents and children to use to build healthy oral hygiene habits.
Manual toothbrush
If your child doesn’t like an electric toothbrush or likes using a manual toothbrush, you will want to make sure you buy one that they are willing to use.
Bring them to the store and let them pick out the brush they want. So many brushes have cool designs and colours, and letting them choose gives them autonomy and may motivate them to brush their teeth.
My non-negotiables to look for in a kid’s toothbrush;
- Small brush head: The smaller the toothbrush head, the better it can contour around the teeth.
- Soft or extra-soft bristles
- Lots of bristles: Most cheaper brushes have fewer bristles and are less effective at clearing away cavity-causing bacteria and food particles.
My favourite manual toothbrushes are the Curaprox toothbrushes. I recommend the Curaprox baby/kids’ toothbrushes to parents (Amazon link). The grip helps to avoid too much pressure being applied to the teeth, and there are 4260 bristles!
Curaprox brushes are made in Switzerland, have abundant bristles, and are made of polyester that will not absorb water or bacteria.
This means the bristles will keep their shape, and the toothbrush will last longer!
Electric toothbrush
I mainly advocate for all kids to have an electric toothbrush because of the timer and increased brushing time.
The timer helps build a 2-minute habit, and if your child doesn’t quite have the dexterity to brush on their own, the brush does most of the work for them, clearing away more cavity-causing bacteria!
Sometimes, it’s best to start with a cheaper battery-operated one to see if your child even likes it.
This Oral-B kid’s battery brush is a great kids’ electric toothbrush (Amazon link).
Starting them on a simple brush that they like the design of is hugely motivating.
Toothpaste
Kids can be picky with toothpaste, so it’s important to consider various factors when choosing one.
What is the flavour? How about the texture?
If a child likes their toothpaste, it can make them enjoy brushing more.
Remember that if your child can’t spit out the toothpaste, make sure you are using a fluoride-free paste. Too much fluoride can cause white patches on adult teeth (this is called fluorosis).
I am a big fan of hydroxyapatite, and Happy Tooth toothpaste (Amazon link) is a perfect choice. It is dentist-created and owned and will remineralize the teeth without the use of fluoride. The natural structure of enamel is 97% hydroxyapatite.
Remember to only use a grain of rice-sized toothpaste on the child’s toothbrush!
When your child can spit out, it’s time for fluoride toothpaste! This helps prevent cavities and acid erosion.
Floss
Flossing is an important habit to build when kids are young. Starting with kids’ floss sticks is a great way to build the habit, and once they get the hang of it, they can switch to string floss.
You can start as young as you want, but I do recommend you continue to help with brushing and flossing until the child can tie their own shoes.
Gadgets/Accessories
Timer
Did you know that the average amount of time that people brush their teeth is about 45 seconds?
If you don’t brush for the recommended 2 minutes, areas are missed, leading to cavities and gum inflammation.
A great motivator is having a timer that will let you know when your two minutes are up. Most electric toothbrushes have a built-in timer, but if your child uses a manual toothbrush, you may want to consider getting a separate one.
A timer will create the habit of 2 minutes and set a baseline for time. Your child will more likely adhere to a full 2-minute brush as they age.
Even if it slightly extends your child’s brushing, it will make a difference!
Plaque disclosing paste
A disclosing solution/chewing tablets (Amazon link) is a great tool that should be used more. I love doing this because it is the most effective way of teaching kids where they are missing plaque with their brushing and how their brushing technique can make a difference—and they will be able to see it!
You can see an example of the effects of disclosing in the image above. The colour has stained the plaque/biofilm on the teeth and indicates where more brushing and interdental cleaning are needed. The colour will come off once brushing removes it.
If your child is getting to that age where they really want to brush their teeth by themselves (remember the rule of thumb; if they can tie their shoes on their own, they can start brushing on their own), using disclosing solutions/pastes/tablets is a great learning opportunity.
It’s best to get them to use it after they brush to show them where they are missing. Then get them to brush it all away.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out anytime 🙂
Holly
