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Keep their pearly whites healthy and clean with these electric and manual options
Getting your kids to brush their teeth can be a battle, but it’s incredibly important to keep their pearly whites clean. These toothbrushes for kids go some way in helping even the most reluctant of brushers get involved.
As soon as your baby’s first tooth pops through, you need to start brushing their teeth twice a day. The NHS’ advice is to brush them for two minutes each time using fluoride toothpaste. Making toothbrushing fun can make these two minutes fuss-free – and that’s where toothbrushes can come into play.
So, what should we be looking for in a toothbrush? “All your child needs is a dentist-recommended, age-appropriate, simple, cheap, toothbrush as they start to get used to the idea of brushing,” says Professor Claire Stevens CBE, spokesperson at British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD). “Look for brushes with short handles that are easier for little hands to grip. Soft bristles will gently clean the tooth’s surface, and remove food and bacteria from between the teeth.”
If you want to go electric, there are some jazzy features, such as timers (to make sure you’re getting your two minutes in) and prompts to keep moving the toothbrush around your mouth. Some even play tunes or light up. Look for electric brushes that have replaceable heads and batteries for a more eco-friendly choice.
Manual toothbrushes still have a place, though – they’re lighter on the wallet and can be transported easily. “There’s no need to splash out on a flash electric toothbrush for children,” says Professor Stevens. “Consider buying a multi-pack of manual toothbrushes, which can be far cheaper and will ensure you have a new brush on hand to replace the old one after three months.”
We spent six weeks brushing three sets of kids’ teeth twice a day. That’s about four hours of brushing teeth altogether, we reckon. Our dentist also checked our children’s teeth during this testing period, so we could compare how our brushing was faring. We also recruited other testers to look at brushes suited for different ages.
What we were really after was something that got our kids brushing their teeth properly, and ideally independently of us standing over them saying, “A bit more! Move the brush around your mouth!” Other things we were keen on were eco-friendly options – replacement heads, plastic free etc. Here are the toothbrushes that sparkled…
The brush head is quite large on this toothbrush, so it’s recommended for ages three and up. Both mini tester and parents loved this brush. The kid loved it because it comes with stickers, has a bee picture on the button and plays a tune when it’s on. We loved it mainly because it got our three-year-old excited about brushing their teeth.
The song ingeniously lasts the two minutes you’re meant to brush your teeth for. And, miraculously, it isn’t an annoying song but is quite catchy. We struggle to think of anything cuter than a little one in their PJs, wiggling their butt in time to their musical toothbrush.
Jack N’ Jill packs some eco creds too. Although plastic, the whole brush is free from toxins and nasties, and is 100 per cent recyclable and biodegradable. It takes AAA batteries, so no need to recharge or bin once the batteries die. You can also replace the heads that are sold separately (£5.95, Babipur.co.uk).
Our tester was immediately drawn to this brush. The head lights up in different colours, which added some fun to proceedings. The head is also nice and small, so great for smaller mouths and teeth. It’s also lightweight with an ergonomic handle, so perfect for little paws to take on some independence.
A built-in timer ensured we could make sure the toothbrushing went on long enough. We also liked that you can stand this brush up for hygienic storage. Two thumbs up for this brush coming with two replacement heads.
This own-brand toothbrush does the job really well. And at such a great price, it makes good sense. Our kids enjoyed the octopus on the handle and the kid-friendly colour. The bristles are soft, so not damaging any delicate gums, and there’s a non-slip grip on the handle.
Although this brush is aimed at three to five-year-olds, Boots does a very similar brush aimed at various age brackets.
This is a great, no-frills brush – we now keep one in our wash bag, so we never get away from home and realise we’ve forgotten to pack their fancy-pants electric toothbrushes.
We highly rate this manual flossbrush as a first toothbrush. The oval, textured handle is easy to grip for little hands and doubles up as a teether too.
The brush head is medium-sized, but seemed to work fine on our mini tester. The bristles themselves alternate in height to get better coverage on and in between the teeth – hence the floss name.
The bristles are also coloured to show you how much toothpaste to put on the brush, which we thought was a smart feature.
For a straight-up first electric toothbrush, this one cleans up. Our mini tester was excited to see a Minion on their toothbrush, and anything that gets them near a toothbrush is a winner in our eyes. They also found it easy enough to switch it on and off independently.
The brush head is about the right size for little mouths – the brush is suitable for those aged three and up. We liked that it stands up for hygienic storage on the bathroom shelves, too.
If your kid is over the stage of wanting cartoon characters on their toothbrush, then this is a great option. Philips one comes in a choice of single citrus hues – and black, for extra-joyless (sorry, sophisticated) teens. A slimline handle feels grown up, but has a texture so it’s not slipping out of your hand.
An adult-size head makes this definitely more suitable for grown-up teen teeth. The varied length of the bristles means it gets in between teeth and doesn’t just do a surface job. The brush itself vibrates every 30 seconds, urging you to move your brush around your mouth for an even clean.
Although this toothbrush doesn’t stand on its end, it does come with a nifty travel case. Replacement heads (sold separately) and batteries make this a fairly long-lasting option.
This pack of 20 toothbrushes brought some excitement to new-toothbrush day. Each bamboo brush comes with its own box, with different-coloured bristles. Our testers loved seeing which colour they’d selected (rainbow was most highly prized, natch).
Super lightweight, with small brush heads, these toothbrushes did the job brilliantly. They’re also wallet-friendly, at less than 50p a pop. But the key thing about these brushes is that they’re made from eco-friendly bamboo – so you’re not contributing to the mountain of waste from used plastic toothbrushes. Plus, they’re antimicrobial, so they’ll stay fresher for longer.
This toothbrush has been carefully designed for those with sensory processing disorders. Not so much a toothbrush as a vibrating gum shield. Load a bit of toothpaste on the gum shield, hold the fun-looking strawberry and pop into your little one’s mouth. The Wiggle takes care of the rest.
We loved that it is so fuss-free and we were totally confident the brush was getting those tricky-to-reach back teeth. Our tester thought it was super fun, too.
Understandably, this is a popular product that comes in and out of stock – keep an eye on the website for restocks.
Both us parents and our testers loved the Jack ‘N Jill buzzy brush. It brought fun to brushing teeth, and helped to ensure our little ones were getting those toothy pegs sparklingly clean. If you’re after a manual brush, we highly rate the eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes – they’re cheap, cheerful and, most importantly, get the job done.
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