Having a child is truly a wonderful experience that comes with the opportunity to help a young mind develop all kinds of new knowledge and habits. As such, one of the most important things to teach your toddler is the importance of oral hygiene, but how do you get a toddler to care and pay attention to tooth brushing? By giving your toddler a Philips Sonicare for Kids 3+ Bluetooth Connected Rechargeable Electric Power Toothbrush, you can get them interested in brushing and foster good dental practices as they grow.
Much like how many other products come in appropriate child-sized proportions, any electric toothbrush for toddlers should be similarly small. Since you hopefully don’t think it’s a good idea to give your small child a full-sized candy bar, you shouldn’t ask a toddler to use an adult’s electric toothbrush.
As a point of reference, your toddler’s first electric toothbrush should be small enough to fit between their cheek and back molars without causing them discomfort. It is highly advisable to bring your toddler with you when shopping for electric toothbrushes to ensure an accurate fit. You should also consider whether the toothbrush your toddler wants comes in age-appropriate categories to help make the process a little easier.
Those unfamiliar with the details of toothbrush bristles come in three general categories: texture, namele, hard, medium and soft. Given that you are trying to foster good habits and toddlers’ gums are extra sensitive, it is highly recommended that you go with an electric toothbrush with soft bristles.
Furthermore, you should also ensure that any electric toothbrush doesn’t have additional rubber bristles since they do not offer any additional cleaning power and can even cause cuts on gums. Finally, bristles with angular shapes can cause excessive irritation and are more easily frayed, so electric toothbrushes with rounded bristles are the way to go.
Getting your toddler to pay attention for two minutes straight on a given day can be an arduous task at the best of times, so don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Your toddler probably won’t be inclined to brush their teeth for the recommended amount of time if their toothbrush is uncomfortable or difficult to hold and use.
Furthermore, selecting an electric toothbrush that your toddler can effectively use also helps to ensure that their brushing achieves its desired effect. As mentioned earlier, this can be accomplished most easily by involving your toddler in the toothbrush shopping experience to ensure proper size and grip.
Kids might not want to use a generic electric toothbrush, but slap Elsa from “Frozen” or Mario from the Super Mario Bros. along the side and they can hardly contain their excitement.
Since toddler attention spans are iffy things at the best of times, anything that will help keep them engaged and focused on the importance of oral hygiene is a real boon. Popular theme options for toddlers’ electric toothbrushes include Star Wars, the Disney Princess Collection, characters from popular video games and many others.
As mentioned previously, keeping your small child’s attention on a singular task for any length of time can be very difficult to achieve. Thankfully for you, several models of electric toothbrushes for toddlers come equipped with interactive apps, timers and rewards for brushing for the entire two minutes.
These apps are completely free to use and help make the brushing process much more fun by allowing you to set goals, keep track of their performance and even give them tips on proper brushing techniques. Your toddler can also earn things like physical stickers from Disney, and you can use the app to ensure proper brushing and reward consistency.
While soft bristles and an ergonomic design will help your toddler want to use their electric toothbrush, your child’s overall effectiveness at cleaning their teeth may leave something to be desired. Fortunately, many electric toothbrushes for toddlers come with advanced features like rotating brush heads, raised center-row bristles for cleaning chewing surfaces and even full-blown Sonicare cleaning technology.
Other helpful tools include automatic 2-minute timers, musical cues for indicating when to switch sides, rubberized power buttons to prevent internal leaks and more. By keeping your toddler entertained and engaged while brushing their teeth, you are making your life easier and helping instill good habits for life.
Depending on your desired features and budget considerations, a quality electric toothbrush for toddlers can cost at least $5-$30.
A. Yes, electric toothbrushes offer significantly better teeth cleaning abilities, but they should only be used by children aged three and up. Any younger children should use manual toothbrushes until they are aged appropriately.
A. The toothbrush should have a small handle with a soft grip that is non-slip and a small brush head and soft bristles.
Philips Sonicare for Kids 3+ Bluetooth Connected Rechargeable Electric Power Toothbrush
What you need to know: This is a top-of-the-line toothbrush for toddlers with full Sonicare technology.
What you’ll love: This unit features a 2-minute kid timer with EasyStart Program, an interactive app for tracking activities and rewards and a handle designed for both kids and adults. It also comes with a brush handle, bristles and charging station and full Sonicare cleaning capabilities.
What you should consider: Some users have reported issues with the unit failing within a few months of initial purchase.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Super Mario Kid’s Spinbrush Electric Battery Toothbrush
What you need to know: An extremely affordable electric toothbrush for toddlers who love Nintendo characters and games.
What you’ll love: This unit features a redesign that emphasizes speed and durability, performing nearly 20% faster and lasting up to twice as long as previous versions. It also comes decorated with various Nintendo characters, a rubber power switch to prevent internal leaks and is powered by a single AA battery.
What you should consider: Some users have reported issues with mold growing in the unit and low power output.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This is an excellent electric toothbrush for toddlers that is perfect for any fan of “Frozen.”
What you’ll love: This unit features the Disney MagicTimer App by Oral-B to help ensure proper cleaning and raised center-row bristles to assist in cleaning chewing surfaces. It needs two AA batteries. In addition, your child can earn free Disney stickers by completing full 2-minute cleaning cycles.
What you should consider: Some users have reported issues with poor battery and not receiving their preferred characters.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Daniel Martin writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
