Key Takeaways
- Use fluoride toothpaste in the correct amount for your child’s age and supervise brushing to prevent swallowing.
- Choose a toothpaste flavor that your child prefers and avoid whitening or abrasive toothpastes to protect their enamel.
- Toothpaste with the right consistency may make it easier for children who are learning how to brush their teeth.
Choosing the Right Toothpaste for Kids: What to Look For
Using toothpaste daily is essential to prevent childhood cavities.1 Learn how to choose a toothpaste for toddlers that will keep their teeth healthy and make brushing more pleasant.
Fluoride Toothpaste for Children: Is It Okay to Use?
Many parents wonder if fluoride toothpaste is okay for children to use. Fluoride is important because it prevents cavities and strengthens newly formed teeth.5 Here are the guidelines when it comes to fluoride toothpaste:
- If your child is younger than two, ask your doctor or dentist when it’s okay to start using fluoride toothpaste.2
- Children under three years old should use a smear of fluoride toothpaste that’s about the size of a grain of rice.3
- Children three through six years old can use a pea-sized smear of toothpaste.3
When your child is done brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste, make sure they spit out the toothpaste and don’t swallow it.3 Avoid having them rinse with water afterward, as this can wash away the fluoride coating that’s protecting your child’s teeth.3
How to Choose the Best Toothpaste for Kids
If you’re not sure how to choose the best toothpaste for your child, follow these tips:
- Let your child pick out their favorite toothpaste flavor.3 Children’s toothpastes come in many different flavors, and they often don’t use the same intense mint flavors that adult toothpastes have.3 Children may be sensitive to intense flavors like mint, cinnamon or eucalyptus.4 Consider toothpastes like Pronamel Kids Berry Twist, which has a fun fruity flavor, or Pronamel Kids Bubble Twist for a bubble mint flavor.
- Avoid whitening and abrasive toothpastes.4 Toothpastes that whiten teeth may be too abrasive for children and should be avoided.4 Abrasive toothpastes may damage tooth enamel over time.5 Ingredients like calcium carbonate, silica and alumina may be too abrasive for your child’s teeth.6
- Consider an SLS-free toothpaste. SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is an ingredient that is often used in toothpastes.5 However, it may cause irritation and peeling on the inside of the mouth.5 Look for an SLS-free toothpaste from Pronamel to give your child a pleasant brushing experience.
- Look for the right toothpaste consistency.6 Look for toothpastes that are easy to squeeze out of the tube but still stay on the toothbrush without falling off.6 This will make it easier for children who are learning how to brush their teeth and may have less developed hand coordination.6
More Children’s Toothpaste Tips
When helping your child brush their teeth, keep these guidelines in mind:
- Use the right toothbrush.3 Consider toothbrushes with soft bristles, small heads and thick handles that are easier for your child to hold.3
- Store your child’s toothpaste and toothbrush in the right place.3 Make sure to keep these items out of your child’s reach so you can supervise brushing their teeth.3
- Make sure your child brushes for two minutes.3 This ensures they are properly removing plaque from their teeth.7 Brushing for two minutes also helps prevent cavities.7
Pronamel Toothpaste for Kids
Pronamel Kids Berry Twist fluoride toothpaste for children offers 24-hour cavity protection*, 2x stronger defense against acid erosion**, and is gentle on enamel^. It’s also made from natural flavors and free from sugar, SLS and parabens. Explore more Pronamel toothpastes for adults and children or learn how to teach your child healthy brushing habits.
*Follow a healthy diet and brush twice daily
**Protection from sugar acids vs your mouth's natural defenses
^With twice daily brushing
Source Citations:
- Doses of fluoride toothpaste for children up to 24 months. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10831090/. Accessed 7/30/2025.
- How to Keep Your Child's Teeth Healthy. Weill Cornell Medicine. https://weillcornell.org/news/how-to-keep-your-childs-teeth-healthy. Accessed 7/30/2025.
- Toothbrushing Tips for Young Children. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/Toothbrushing-Tips-for-Young-Children.aspx. Accessed 7/30/2025.
- The Proper Toothpaste for Children. Open Access Journal of Dental Sciences. https://doi.org/10.23880/oajds-16000195. Accessed 7/30/2025.
- The Yin and Yang of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Use for Oral and Periodontal Health: A Literature Review. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10506142/.
- Important considerations in the development of toothpaste formulations for children. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9375025. Accessed 7/30/2025.
- Toothbrushes. American Dental Association. https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/toothbrushes. Accessed 7/30/2025.
