Kids Toothbrushes

Letting your child use an electric toothbrush is fine if they’re 3 years old and over - if they’re younger than this, a manual toothbrush should be used to be gentle on their gums.

Electric toothbrushes can increase your child’s engagement with brushing as they’re often available in fun colours, with many popular characters being featured on the handle.

If you use an electric toothbrush, it’s only natural that your child might want one, too.

The type of toothbrush your child should use depends on their age.

When they’re 0 - 3 years old, you should use a washcloth or a finger-slip toothbrush with a rice-sized amount of toothpaste (it should be fluoride-free at this age).

Then, from the ages of 3 - 9, you should get a children’s toothbrush with soft bristles to be gentle on their gums - these toothbrushes tend to get bigger as your child ages, so pick one that’s suitable for their age group.

When they’re 10 years old and over, they can use an adult toothbrush.

You should start to brush your child’s teeth as soon as they get their first tooth, which is usually when they’re around 6 months old.

As they grow, they can start to learn to brush their teeth by themselves by learning good habits that will help them to care for their teeth as they get older.

If you’ve got toothache, it’s important that you make a dentist appointment to find out what the problem is.

In the meantime, however, you might need something to relieve the pain.

Regular painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen should help to relieve your pain, or you could try an alternative remedy like a saltwater rinse or clove oil.