A variety of factors must be considered when choosing a toothbrush for your child, including age, ability, and dental health needs. Follow these simple guidelines when choosing toothbrushes for children.
General Guidelines
However old your child is, the toothbrush you pick should be easy for him or her to hold and manipulate, and it should fit comfortably into the mouth. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles that have rounded or ‘polished’ ends, as these will be gentler on the gums and tooth enamel.
To make brushing more fun and to encourage your child to take an active interest in it, allow your child to choose a toothbrush that suits his or her tastes in terms of colour, pattern, and so on.
Babies & Toddlers
Before the teeth actually errupy, many parents use a soft, damp cloth to clean their infants' gums. You can use an ultra soft toothbrush on your baby’s gums before the teeth emerge. The toothbrush you choose for your baby can be a bright, fun colour, and it should have an extra small head that fits easily inside your baby’s mouth.
Toothbrushes for toddlers also come in bright colours that are attractive to small children. This will help encourage your toddler to take an interest in the brushing and flossing routine. Toddler toothbrushes have small heads, and large handles that make it easy for little hands to grip.
Age 5 to 8
With supervision, most kids this age can just about brush their teeth on their own. Toothbrushes for this age range typically look a bit more like adult toothbrushes, but still have smaller heads. The grip will be smaller than that of toddler brushes, though, to keep up with you child's developing manual dexterity.
Toothbrushes for children this age are typically the most fun you'll find in the dental hygiene aisle! They're often cartoon character-themed, so your child can pick a brush featuring a favourite animated character, whether it’s Olaf from Frozen or Spongebob Squarepants.
Preadolescence
Children aged 8 and older are usually able to brush independently. Toothbrushes for children this age look just about the same as adult brushes, but the heads are still somehwta slimmer.
Electric Toothbrushes
Electric toothbrushes are available for children as well. But before you choose an electric toothbrush for your child, discuss it with your child's dentist for advice on the difference in brushing technique, and the best style of head for children.