My son is 4 years old. For as long as he has had teeth he has fought me on tooth brushing. Every night he screams. Every night I have to hold him down and brush his teeth. You’d think by now he would understand that it doesn’t help, and his teeth are going to get brushed regardless of his screaming. Luckily, times have changed, and there are advances in toothbrush technology, that can get kids excited about brushing their teeth!
First up we have my Son’s new favorite, Tooth Tunes by Arm & Hammer. The toothbrush has a button that you press when you start brushing your teeth. The song that comes with that particular brush starts playing, and plays for 2 minutes (which is how long you are supposed to brush your teeth for anyway). The songs are all modern songs that kids love. My son has a song by One Direction on his.
He can channel his inner boy band as he brushes his teeth, as seen in the above video. He loves to dance around to the song while he is brushing his teeth. I really like that he is now associating brushing his teeth with a fun happy time, instead of the torture he made it out to be.
My daughter has a regular Spinbrush, also from Arm & Hammer. They have made this toothbrush fun by packaging a whole sheet of stickers with the blank slate of the toothbrush handle. She was able to decorate her toothbrush to her exact specifications, making it fun for her when she heads off to brush her teeth. They even include several letters so that the kids can spell their name on it. The brush itself spins to help get the child’s teeth cleaner than just brushing with a straight brush alone. Many kids need that extra oomph to make up for poor brushing technique.
Sonicare has gotten in the game as well, creating a kid specific model of their famous toothbrush line. The toothbrush isn’t quite as powerful as the adult version, making it perfect for kids. They have a smaller brush head for 4-6 year olds, and a bigger one for 7-10 year olds. They’ve really taken into account how kids hold their toothbrushes, and adjusted the design appropriately.
There are also toothbrushes that light up to help the kids know how long to continue their brushing, or changes colors to know when to change sides.
Whatever you decide on, involve your kids in the decision. One child may want to decorate their toothbrush more than they like the lighting effects or music. Involving them in purchasing their toothbrush with help them get excited about keeping their teeth clean!
