What is the best toothpaste for my child?
There are so many options to choose from when you’re walking down the toothpaste aisle in Target or Walmart, that it can make choosing a toothpaste for your child an impossible task.
Our focus in this article is on the many different varieties of toothpaste for children and how to make an informed decision in choosing the best type of toothpaste for your child.
1 - Brands
There are so many brands available to choose from, that it can make you wonder, which one is best for my child? We’re going to let you in on a little secret, the brand is not what is important. Just look for that active ingredient: sodium fluoride, if it’s listed there on the toothpaste, you’re good.
2 - Flavors
You can choose from a variety of flavors, although mint tends to not be a favorite for children. And kids with taste sensitivity tend to prefer bubble gum flavored toothpaste. Watermelon and strawberry are also extremely popular toothpaste flavors for kids.
3 - Delivery
Toothpaste can come in classic tubes, tubes that stand upright, containers and pumps. Pumps are a great option because of how they dose the toothpaste.
4- Dosing
Dosing is probably the most important component in toothpaste usage. When brushing your children’s teeth, it is all about using the appropriate dosing (amount) of toothpaste.
A toddler should get a smear (which is about the size of a grain of rice) of children’s, fluoridated toothpaste. Since it is very likely, due to their age, that they will swallow it there will be no harm from that very low dose but it will still be enough to get all the benefits, which will include the hardening of their enamel.
A child who is a bit older can get an increase in the amount of fluoride toothpaste. It can be increased to a pea-size amount once they reach the age of 6. To give you an idea, a child who is 3 years old would use half a pea-size amount of kids toothpaste.
That is why “dosing” of fluoride toothpaste for kids is so important. They can get all the benefits of the fluoride without ingesting too much. You want to make sure that your child’s oral hygiene is getting the priority and care that it deserves. And choosing the right toothpaste will help in maintaining the healthiest smile possible for your child.
We try to not recommend toothpaste that have great flavors, since children will want to use more and will tend to enjoy the toothpaste flavor instead of brushing and working on getting the plaque off their teeth. There are some toothpastes that are flavor-free, which would be our recommendation to any parent when asking what kind of toothpaste is best for their child.
It is also important to distinguish between “Trainer” & “Toddler” toothpaste, which is not something we recommend. Click her for more information regarding toddler toothpaste.
When it comes to kids’ toothpaste and in distinguishing between kids & adult toothpaste, click here for the video and more information on those differences as well.
Here’s another article with more useful information on choosing the best toothpaste for your child.