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Jun 09, 2024

Best Electric Toothbrushes For Kids 2023

Getting kids to brush their teeth twice a day, every single day—properly—is often a huge hurdle for parents. But it’s easier than ever for youth to take the task into their own hands (without as much

Getting kids to brush their teeth twice a day, every single day—properly—is often a huge hurdle for parents. But it’s easier than ever for youth to take the task into their own hands (without as much parental pleading) thanks to an ever-growing array of electric toothbrushes designed for kids. The best electric toothbrushes for kids encourage good dental hygiene habits and help achieve optimal healthy teeth and gums—all while making brushing, dare we say, fun.

Quip is ADA-Accepted and is the best overall electric toothbrush for kids on our list.

Wondering whether you should switch your child to an electric toothbrush from the manual one they’ve used all their lives? It’s important to choose the brush that will work best for your child’s age and stage, suit their preferences, and appeal to their sensibilities.

Dr. Lisa Bienstock, MBA Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist, explains, “Electric toothbrushes clean the teeth and gums better than manual toothbrushes. As busy parents who do not always have time to monitor every time our kids brush their teeth, electric toothbrushes can give us peace of mind about our kids’ dental hygiene.”

As a cavity-free mom of two cavity-free teens and someone who is obsessed with oral hygiene, I curated this list based on my research of best-selling, highly-rated electric toothbrushes for kids. I took into account the features that would be most appealing to kids, as well as the functionality and ease of use of each toothbrush.

When it comes to which key features to look for while shopping for an electric toothbrush for kids, Dr. Bienstock says, “It really depends on your child’s preferences. The vibrating and oscillating features may have minor differences, but they seem to be pretty uniform. Find one that fits your child’s comfort level and needs. For example, whether your child can manipulate a smaller, thicker, taller, or a wider electric toothbrush will be important because they come in all shapes and sizes. And, of course, many have games, lights, and other bells and whistles, so it really depends on what you and your child like.”

The picks in this list include toothbrushes that span the gamut from models with advanced features and mobile apps that “gamify” brushing all the way down to simple, streamlined options that get the job done without much fanfare. It’s good to keep in mind that less may be more, depending on your child and whether they want to make an event out of brushing their teeth multiple times a day.

You can also check out the best electric toothbrushes for adults to score one for yourself. And if you have a baby, see our list of the best teething toys for babies to help soothe their gums.

Amazon

Rechargeable: No | Batteries: Yes | Replacement heads available: Yes

Thoughtfully designed for kids age 3 and older, the Quip toothbrush has a waterproof rubber-grip handle that’s easy and comfortable for kids to grasp and hold during a brushing session. The small toothbrush head features soft bristles that are easy on gums. Sonic vibrations last two minutes and are timed so kids learn to switch to brushing another quadrant of their mouth every thirty seconds when the brush pulses.

There’s no charger for this toothbrush, and Quip’s replaceable AAA battery lasts for three months.

Notably, Quip is one of a select few electric toothbrushes that earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance. This means, “the product is safe and has shown efficacy in removing plaque and helping to prevent and reduce gingivitis, when used as directed.”

Rose Gordon Sala, the baby and kids gear editor at Forbes Vetted adds, “I’ve used the Quip for all three of my kids for a year and really like it. It’s super lightweight, designed for their teeth and hands, and the battery truly holds for months. I also appreciate that it isn’t super loud.”

Amazon

Rechargeable: Yes | Batteries: No | Replacement heads available: Yes

Sonicare is synonymous with best-selling electric toothbrushes, and the highly revered brand’s sonic toothbrush designed for kids 3 and up boasts clever features that will appeal to young ones. For instance, it interacts with an entertaining app that syncs with your child’s toothbrush via Bluetooth, so a character named “Sparkly” can teach them brushing techniques and encourages a more thorough brushing session.

The toothbrush also features a two-minute timer and a “Musical Kidpacer” that alerts kids when to switch to brushing a different section of their mouth. Kids can also customize the brush handle with a variety of eight different stickers that are included.

The handle of this toothbrush is adult-sized, so beware that it’s not optimized for smaller hands to grip.

Amazon

Rechargeable: Yes | Batteries: No | Replacement heads available: Yes

The Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush has built-in features that ensure kids don’t brush their teeth too hard, which can cause a host of issues. According to Colgate, “over-vigorous brushing can lead to oral health problems and put your mouth at risk for dental abrasion, tooth sensitivity, and gum recession.”

Whether your kiddo needs to learn a lighter touch or you want to encourage proper brushing from the start, this toothbrush has a handy pressure sensor that lights up when kids are brushing too hard, signaling them to ease up.

Pair this with the sensitive brush head and the “gentle mode” option and you can rest assured your kid’s tooth-brushing session will be well monitored.

Amazon

Rechargeable: No | Batteries: Yes | Replacement heads available: No

Not sure if your kid will even want to use an electric toothbrush? Worried they might be put off by all the vibrations? For around $5 you can test the waters with Colgate’s battery powered toothbrush that’s geared for little ones and comes in a variety of fun characters like a Minion, Batman or a unicorn.

Dr. Bienstock says, “I would recommend starting with a less expensive, single use electric toothbrush (meaning you cannot replace the brush heads; you just throw it out after three months) before you purchase a more expensive one. That way, you can see if your child likes it and will tolerate it, because it may take time to adjust to the vibrating and oscillating feeling.”

The Colgate toothbrush has a slim handle designed for little hands, and a small, soft-bristled brush head that is gentle on gums.

Amazon

Rechargeable: No | Batteries: Yes | Replacement heads available: Yes

Babies and toddlers—even kids well under 3—can reap the benefits of using an electric toothbrush with the DADA-TECH Baby Electric Toothbrush. Since young babies may not yet have teeth that have sprouted through their sensitive gums, the sonic technology of this toothbrush is a gentle vibration and there is no rotation of the bristles.

Additionally, the short, easy to grasp silicone handle and the soft nylon bristles on the brush head make this toothbrush safer for little ones to use. Four, thirty-second pulse reminders teach young kids (or help caregivers keep track of) how much time to spend in each quadrant of the mouth.

This toothbrush is a great way to put dental hygiene right in the palm of even the tiniest hand, to start on the path of a lifetime of good brushing habits.

Amazon

Rechargeable: No | Batteries: Yes | Replacement heads available: Yes

The BriteBrush GameBrush turns teeth brushing into a fun event for kids age 5 and older. The lively brush is equipped with seven games kids can choose between, from soccer pinball and dance star to race car rally and space attack (which makes actual “pew pew” sounds like the Asteroids game of your youth). Each game has four sections to break up the session equally between quadrants of the mouth, and kids end with a “score” of stars they collected during the session. (Note that each game lasts one minute, so kids need to play two games to brush for the full two minutes recommended by dentists).

The brush also boasts music and lights, and is equipped with smart sensors to track and guide brushing endeavors, as well as audio that tells kids to “change sides” so they don’t miss any teeth.

After speaking with MBA Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist Dr. Lisa Bienstock and researching recommendations from the American Dental Association, I pored through copious reviews and best lists to arrive at the best-selling most highly-rated electric toothbrushes for kids. I spoke with other members of the Forbes team to get firsthand recommendations for models like the Quip toothbrush, which I named best electric toothbrush for kids overall due to its popularity among the team, its standout features, and its ADA Seal of Acceptance.

I ensured that each toothbrush recommended here is age-appropriate as well as safe, effective, and easy to use to achieve the most optimal results: clean teeth and healthy gums. As the mom of two kids who have used electric toothbrushes since they were toddlers, I know firsthand which toothbrush features will aid in the endeavor and be the biggest hit among kids and their parent helpers.