Running! Screaming! Playing! Laughing! Does life with a toddler ever slow down? From constantly scrambling around to make lunches, play hide and seek, climb aboard an imaginary boat, or scrub crayons off the walls, there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for our children. As your child grows older, and start getting their teeth in, you may find pretty quickly, or smelly, that you’re going to have to start teaching your little one to brush their teeth! That’s right. It’s toothbrush season.
But what toothbrush should you buy? Step into any grocery store and you’ll find hundred of options! Each toothbrush has different features that are equipped for any toddler’s lifestyle. Some of the best options of the different electric and manual toothbrushes are:
- Electric Toothbrush: Philips Sonicare for Kids is an electric toothbrush that’s highly rated among parents. 91% of dental professional parents prefer Sonicare for their children, and 98% of parents say that it makes it easier for their kids to brush longer and better. With 500 strokes per second, the technology makes brushing significantly more efficient! It’s also the only toothbrush that can connect to BlueTooth so children can interact and promote better dental hygiene with the Philips App it’s connected to. Less work for you, less work for your toddler, better cleaning! It’s a win-win toothbrush!
- Manual Toothbrush: Totz Toddler Toothbrush by Radius is a manual toothbrush excellent for children aged 18 months and older. The toothbrush is designed with a smooth oval head to prevent any accidents with sharp sides. It also is equipped with 4,500 soft, vegetable based bristles for an efficient, gentle brush in your toddler’s mouth! The handle is designed to best fit a toddler’s hand with the help of the parents. All materials are BPA, and it’s made right in the USA!
Whichever way you choose to go: electric or manual, it’s important to consider what best fits your child’s needs. There are plenty of options that cover an array of oral health points. So, once you’ve found the tools to use, you’ll just need to implement good, consistent dental hygiene. It may be tough, but think about it: with one of these toothbrushes, you’ve won half the battle.
Should I Buy My Toddler an Electric Toothbrush?
One of the great things about an electric toothbrush is it “forces” children and adults to brush their teeth for two full minutes. Time and again, we are told that children are brushing their teeth every night and every morning but their teeth are not in the best condition. Most of the time, this is due to the fact that children are brushing for about 15 or 30 seconds and then heading to bed or doing something else.
With shorter attention spans due to the iPhone and iPad, it is not uncommon to hear that children are watching a YouTube video or looking at Snapchat while brushing their teeth. If they are doing this with a manual toothbrush, they are not focusing on the task at hand.
While a toddler is not going to brush their own teeth initially, an electric toothbrush will teach them the proper amount of time to brush their teeth when they start to do it themselves. We highly recommend you start your toddler with an electric toothbrush as it will force you to brush their teeth for two full minutes and they will learn to brush their teeth for two full minutes as they get older.
If you are in the Raleigh or Wake Forest, North Carolina area and are seeking a pediatric dentist, contact us today.