Make their pearly whites squeaky clean without a nightly battle.
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Desperate to get their pearly whites squeaky clean without a twice-daily meltdown? We might just have your solution.
If you are the parent of a small, teeth-owning person, chances are at some point you've battled to get them to understand why they need to brush. It makes sense that they're reluctant: after all, we spend most of our time telling them not to put things in their mouths, and then suddenly we're encouraging them to jab something long and spiky with gross tasting goo on it in there? Have some consistency, mum!
The fact is, most kids resist teeth brushing, which is perfectly normal. In my experience, eventually they'll just accept it's something need to do and they'll do it (for my kid, that was around age 3.5) but if you're facing a twice-daily meltdown every time you suggest their pearly whites could do with a little scrub and polish, you might want to think about getting an electric toothbrush. Not only can they be a fun option for reluctant brushers, they can actually get their teeth cleaner quicker and with less effort, so it's a win-win.
We've rounded up the best kids' electric toothbrushes on the market, just to make you job just that much easier.
This toothbrush is a kid-friendly version of Philips' famous Sonicare brush and it's a super-smart little machine that is determined to make brushing fun. It uses their specially-designed sonic technology to pulse water between the teeth and break up plaque, while an app syncs up with your kids' brush to track how they're going, show them the right way to brush, and even give them rewards when they do a good job! It has a timer to let them know how long they should be brushing for and a pacer to help them find the right rhythm. "Great product. Whoever came up with this must be a genius," says one of the MANY positive reviewers. "My two-year-old refused to brush his teeth before we got this. Now he is excited to brush them 3 times a day because he knows he gets a present from his monster. The app is such a good idea!"
This brush might not have the bells and whistles of the Philips model above, but it's a beautifully designed toothbrush just perfect for little hands. Suitable from 0-5, it is USB rechargable and comes in a range of colours. It is made with soft, silicone bristles and uses gentle sonic pulsations for a deep thorough clean. It can also be used as a teething aid as it has two functions - massage mode or brush mode - so you can apply teething gel and soothe sore gums.
This electric toothbrush, with cool Star Wars design, features extra soft bristles to look after little teeth and gums. It also comes with handle stickers so everyone knows who it belongs too. Plus, you can make brushing time even more fun by downloading the Disney "Magic Timer App". After two dentist-recommended minutes of brushing, your child can earn virtual stickers of their fave Disney characters. Sounds like a total win-win!
One happy parent commented, "Great product. Our kids love them. They loved the choice of decal stickers. It was great for them to personalise their toothbrush. The whole family has Oral B electric toothbrushes now."
This toothbrush has a unique u-shape that fits neatly into little mouths and works in just 45 seconds to achieve a thorough clean. Available in pink or blue, it has three modes - blue light for a strong clean, red light for a gentle clean and a gum massage, and is made with food-grade silicone so it's non-toxic, hygienic and easy to clean.
These are recommended for kids of all ages who have not used an electric toothbrush before.
Oral B has two electric toothbrushes aimed at kids - one for 3-5 year-olds and another for 6-to-12s. They come in a bunch of different designs - Frozen, Spiderman etc - and also matches up with Disney “Magic Timer” app to help them brush better and longer. It’s rechargeable on the same plug that you might have for your own Oral B adult toothbrush, and it will last about five days on a single charge. Relatively inexpensive, this is a great option if you’re not sure your kid will like an electric brush and you don’t want to waste the money on something fancy. “Bought these for my 3 and 5 year old and so good, worth the money,” says one reviewer. “Most other cheaper electric toothbrushes had a huge head and my kids hated them, these ones have a small head and are perfect for their little mouths.”
This upside to this brush is it’s very affordable, the downside is that the brush head is not replaceable, so you will have to buy a whole new unit every few months. That aside, at under $10 it’s a great option for reluctant brushers as it’s gentle, no-frills, and easy to use. It’s also waterproof, which is great for those kids who might be more inclined to brush their teeth if they’re distracted (like in the bath).
This toothbrush features a two-minute timer so kids know how long they’ve been brushing for, and has a cute, kid-friendly design that children will love. They can choose from penguin, duck or otter, and each little friend is grippy and great for small hands, while the brush head itself is gentle and thorough and made from BPA-free silicone, using sonic technology to achieve a good, thorough clean. “Love love love it!” writes one mum. “My daughter hasn’t stopped wanting to brush her teeth since using this toothbrush. She won’t put it down, in fact, she asks to brush her teeth after every meal now!”
Generally, electric toothbrushes aren't recommended for kids under three years, but there are some which are specifically designed to be used with supervision on kids as soon as they start teething. For the record, I started my reluctant brusher with an electric toothbrush when he was about two and it worked a treat.
With extra-soft bristles, this toothbrush is recommended for 3+ but can be used earlier under supervision. Battery operated, it runs easily on one replaceable AA, and is soft and comfy for kids to hold. It also lays flat for easy toothpaste application. A good, basic (and fun) option to introduce your kids to the idea of an electric brush.
This cute and fun toothbrush is AAA battery powered and plays music to help encourage your kids to brush. You can choose a happy tune that plays for two minutes, choose to instead get intermittent reminders for your kids to ‘keep going’ over that time, or just use it silent as a regular brush, once they no longer need the encouragement. Soft-bristled and with a replaceable head, it also comes with stickers so they can personalise it, and it’s a fantastic option for kids who need a bit more than a regular brush but aren’t quite ready for all the features in something like the Sonicare. “This brush gets him excited about brushing his teeth,” says one mum. “We also found the animated song of the brush on YouTube, which makes it even more fun for him to connect to the buzzy toothbrush.”
This is an excellent brush for those who need a little encouragement. As your little one brushes, it vibrates every 30 seconds to let them know it’s time to move onto another part of the mouth. The handle is comfy for little hands, while vibrations are strong enough to clean teeth yet gentle for sensitive mouths.
Designed for the littlest of bubs, this toothbrush is incredibly soft and gentle and is made of food-grade silicone so it’s safe for every mouth. It’s water-resistant and has a handy LED light to make it easy to see into your baby’s mouth, and the gentle vibrations can be used with teething gel to help massage gums and make teething much less painful.
The most important thing to remember is that every kid is different. Your sister’s kid may love her electric toothbrush, while yours is terrified of it. They can be a bit intimidating - they buzz, they’re loud, they can tickle… so if immediately they’re not a fan, don’t stress too much. Most kids will grow to love their electric toothbrush but some just don’t - and there’s not much you can do about that! If you are going to buy one, look for something that is easy for them to hold themselves, is lightweight, and relatively quiet - the louder the buzz the more intimidating it might be. Generally, a child can start using an electric toothbrush (with supervision) from around the age of two, but as we've already mentioned, there are some toothbrushes here that double as gum massagers that can be used earlier on teething bubs.
Want my honest answer? They’ll brush when they want to brush. While sure, it’s great to get your kids brushing as early as possible, it’s truly not going to be the end of the world if they don’t brush their teeth twice a day every day from the second they spout their first tooth. Just do the best you can. My advice is to set good teeth brushing standards yourself - because kids generally mimic what their parents do - and do whatever you can to make it fun, be that music, games, challenges, rewards - and if it still doesn’t work, lay off until it does, because just like toilet training, if you force it too hard, you’ll put them off completely. Eventually, they’ll come around and understand the importance of having healthy teeth and even be proud of how well they brush. My four-year-old hated brushing and now he comes up and asks me to smell his breath because he says “it’s so beautiful” after he’s finished brushing. They figure it out. Trust me.
No, they don’t. But nor do adults for that matter! A regular toothbrush will do a fine job - the important thing is they’re brushing at all - but an electric toothbrush does generally do a more thorough clean simply because it's more powerful than a manual one, and it can make the job easier. Because kids aren’t great brushers and don’t have a lot of patience, anything that makes the job easier is a pretty good idea.
Want more great gear for kids? Here is our guide to the best kids' headphones and the best teething toys for sore gums.
This article was originally published July 8, 2021 and updated January 28, 2022.