In this article
An electric toothbrush is fine for your child from the age on its box. The Jack N Jill Buzzy Brush, for example, is for ages 3 and up. Canada's public health advice doesn't say an electric brush is better or worse than a regular one. What it focuses on is how you brush: a small, soft brush, for 2 minutes, twice a day, most importantly before bed, with an adult helping. An electric brush can make brushing more fun, but your child still needs your help.
What Canada's guidance says
From the Public Health Agency of Canada and HealthLink BC:
- A small, soft brush. Use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush as soon as the first teeth come in.
- 2 minutes, twice a day. Brush teeth, tongue and gums, and most importantly before bedtime.
- Help until they can write their name. It's hard for young children to hold and move a toothbrush well enough to reach all their teeth. When children can write (not print) their name, they can brush by themselves. From 7 to 12, they still need guidance, and sometimes supervision.
- Floss for your child until they can do it themselves, usually around age 9.
- Don't share toothbrushes.
- Replace the brush every 3 to 4 months. On an electric brush, the head is the part you replace.
An electric brush doesn't change any of that. Whatever brush your child uses, keep brushing for them or checking their brushing until they can manage on their own.
Toothpaste: how much
For children 3 to 6, the Public Health Agency of Canada says to use a small green pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste, 5 mm at most. Teach your child to spit out the extra, and don't rinse with water afterwards, so the fluoride keeps working. Under 3, ask your oral health professional whether your child needs fluoridated toothpaste. Official advice for under-3s varies a little across Canada, and our guide to when to start brushing compares it.
What to check in a kids' electric brush
- The age on the box. Start at the age the maker gives.
- Soft bristles and a small head, to match the advice above.
- Replaceable heads, and what they cost, since you'll replace the head every 3 to 4 months.
- A secure battery compartment. Health Canada warns that button batteries are very dangerous if swallowed, so for any battery-powered product your child uses, look for a compartment that closes with a screw.
- Water resistance, since it'll get wet every day.
- Something your child likes. Lights, music or stickers won't clean teeth, but they might get your child to the sink without a fight.
What about U-shaped toothbrushes?
A U-shaped brush looks like a small mouthguard lined with soft bristles, and it fits over several teeth at once. The Nemibaby U-Shape, for example, has soft silicone bristles and vibrates. The public health guidance above doesn't mention U-shaped brushes. If you try one, the same rules apply: follow the age on the packaging, brush for 2 minutes twice a day, and keep helping and checking.
The kids' toothbrushes we carry
- Jack N Jill Buzzy Brush, $19.95, ages 3+. An electric brush with extra-soft bristles, a rotating head with soft vibrations, and replaceable heads. A coloured light shows which of its three modes is on, and the battery compartment closes with a screw. It comes with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
- Nemibaby Kids U-Shape Toothbrush, $79.99, in blue or pink. A vibrating U-shaped brush with soft food-grade silicone bristles. Replacement heads are $14.99 for two.
- Radius Totz, $8.99, 18 months+. A manual brush, if you'd rather start simple.
A new toothbrush also makes a good stocking stuffer. See our stocking stuffers under $25 for more ideas.
Prices are in CAD and were current when we wrote this. Call our Richmond, Burnaby or Ottawa store ahead of your visit to ask what's on the shelf.
