Best and worst kids’ toothpaste brands (Consumer Reports)
Dental hygiene is important, especially for children, and it all starts with using toothpaste and a toothbrush twice a day. “This simple habit of brushing twice a day helps remove plaque-causing bacteria, and that reduced the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and costly dental treatments,” said Consumer Reports’ Catherine Roberts.Consumer Reports has researched children’s dental products and offers tips on what to look for and what to avoid. When choosing toothpaste for kids, it’s essential to choose one that contains fluoride and is free from potentially harmful ingredients. To find the best toothpaste, Consumer Reports and Made Safe, a nonprofit focused on product safety and sustainability, evaluated seven popular children’s brands. Hello Kids’ Magical Mermaid Fluoride Toothpaste and Jason Sea Fresh Anti-Cavity & Strengthening Toothpaste were top favorites, containing safer and more sustainable ingredients.Act Kids Anticavity Toothpaste and Tom’s of Maine Kid’s Natural Silly Strawberry both contained ingredients with possible risks. Three products — including Burt’s Bees Kids Strawberry Splash, Colgate Kids Cavity Protection Bubble Fruit, and Crest Kid’s Cavity Protection Sparkle Fun Toothpaste — contained titanium dioxide and other ingredients linked to potential health concerns.All three companies were reached out to, but none commented on their product’s ingredient safety. “While none of these ingredients pose any immediate risks to kids, research has linked certain food dyes to hyperactivity in children and titanium dioxide to potential damage to the body’s genetic material and immune system,” Roberts said. Choosing the appropriate toothbrush is just as important. Consumer Reports recommends the Philips Sonicare for Kids or Brusheez Kids’ Electric Toothbrush as a more affordable option for cleaning.“Children can usually start brushing their own teeth between the ages of about 3 and 6, and while some research does suggest that an electric toothbrush may reduce plaque slightly more than using a manual, really whatever brush your child likes and will use consistently is best,” said Roberts. Kids can also use adult toothpaste if it contains fluoride and doesn’t address oral health concerns beyond cavity protection, like gum disease or whitening.
Dental hygiene is important, especially for children, and it all starts with using toothpaste and a toothbrush twice a day.
“This simple habit of brushing twice a day helps remove plaque-causing bacteria, and that reduced the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and costly dental treatments,” said Consumer Reports’ Catherine Roberts.
Consumer Reports has researched children’s dental products and offers tips on what to look for and what to avoid.
When choosing toothpaste for kids, it’s essential to choose one that contains fluoride and is free from potentially harmful ingredients.
To find the best toothpaste, Consumer Reports and Made Safe, a nonprofit focused on product safety and sustainability, evaluated seven popular children’s brands.
Hello Kids’ Magical Mermaid Fluoride Toothpaste and Jason Sea Fresh Anti-Cavity & Strengthening Toothpaste were top favorites, containing safer and more sustainable ingredients.
Act Kids Anticavity Toothpaste and Tom’s of Maine Kid’s Natural Silly Strawberry both contained ingredients with possible risks.
Three products — including Burt’s Bees Kids Strawberry Splash, Colgate Kids Cavity Protection Bubble Fruit, and Crest Kid’s Cavity Protection Sparkle Fun Toothpaste — contained titanium dioxide and other ingredients linked to potential health concerns.
All three companies were reached out to, but none commented on their product’s ingredient safety.
“While none of these ingredients pose any immediate risks to kids, research has linked certain food dyes to hyperactivity in children and titanium dioxide to potential damage to the body’s genetic material and immune system,” Roberts said.
Choosing the appropriate toothbrush is just as important.
Consumer Reports recommends the Philips Sonicare for Kids or Brusheez Kids’ Electric Toothbrush as a more affordable option for cleaning.
“Children can usually start brushing their own teeth between the ages of about 3 and 6, and while some research does suggest that an electric toothbrush may reduce plaque slightly more than using a manual, really whatever brush your child likes and will use consistently is best,” said Roberts.
Kids can also use adult toothpaste if it contains fluoride and doesn’t address oral health concerns beyond cavity protection, like gum disease or whitening.
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