Top 10 Best Electric Toothbrushes for Kids in 2021 (Dental Hygienist-Reviewed)

Jaeyoung is an oral health educator and dental disease preventer passionate about paving the way for patients to embark on their journey to proper oral hygiene. She graduated from UNC School of Dentistry in 2018 and served on the UNC SOD SPURGEON Student Government.

She's always trying to keep up with new dental research articles and products to help her patients choose compatible products that work with their lifestyles. She's also a coffee lover and mom to two Bengal cats and multiple plants! Catch up with her on her Instagram.

After looking through numerous customer reviews, we combined a list of the 10 best electric toothbrushes based on categories such as electricity supply, age range, brush rotation, and more.

※Please note that these products were not picked by Jaeyoung Yoo, but chosen through extensive research and by combing through customer reviews by our staff at mybest.

Nowadays, electric toothbrushes for kids have taken on many functions and shapes. Choosing a suitable one for your kids has become much more difficult. Hopefully, this buying guide can provide you with some tips in picking out the best one for your child. 

There are two types of electricity supply for electric toothbrushes: primary (or single-use battery) and secondary battery. Each has its own pros and cons.

An electric toothbrush with a single-use battery as a power source is convenient for kids to bring to school, kindergarten, or faraway trips. If the battery runs out, your kids can still use the toothbrush immediately just by putting in new battery. 

However, if the battery nearly runs out, the toothbrush will not work properly. That means you have to estimate the time to replace batteries. Some electric toothbrushes have indicator lights to let you know when it's about to run out of juice.

Using an electric toothbrush with a rechargeable battery is a cost-saving and environmentally-friendly lifehack because you can just use your home's electricity source to recharge without having to buy new primary batteries. 

However, if your child goes somewhere far away and you forget to recharge the toothbrush, your kids may not be able to use them. Before they set off on their adventure, check the battery level to prevent this from happening.

The mouth size of children varies. If the brush head is too big, it cannot thoroughly clean the backside or corners of your kid's teeth. Meanwhile, if the brush head is too tiny, it cannot cover all the areas needed to be brushed. Furthermore, if your child has sensitive teeth or gums, you should look for a gentle brush head. 

In general, when choosing a toothbrush, you should take into consideration your child's age, mouth size, and gum condition. Usually, the packaging of toothbrush indicates the targeted age group. Some electric toothbrushes even have different modes to suit different needs.

Many children don't exactly enjoy brushing their teeth. Some kids even throw tantrums! Luckily, nowadays, electric toothbrushes include various functions that can entertain your kids, educate them on oral care, and make them look forward to brushing their teeth. 

Some toothbrushes can play songs and even talk to your kids once turned on. Some are equipped with LED lights that can change colors, and some are also connected to your smartphone, allowing you to track your kids' brushing habits or play some interactive videos on free apps. 

Some electric toothbrushes may look the same, but their operating systems can be completely different. There are two types of electric toothbrushes for children: oscillating and sonic vibration. 

An oscillating brush has a spinning head that can remove stains and food plaques effectively. However, your kids will probably have to move their hands just like when they use a manual toothbrush. 

Sonic vibration has a much faster speed in comparison to oscillating ones. They can come with a higher price tag, but they can remove even the trickiest and hardest stains even if your kids don't move.

Normally, an electric toothbrush only has one single mode. However, due to different oral care needs, many toothbrushes now come with various modes such as white, sensitive, or massage so that you can adjust it to your child's needs. 

If your kid's gums or teeth are sensitive, then choosing a toothbrush with multiple options is recommended, since the single mode may not be gentle enough.

To get your kids using their ETB regularly, Jaeyoung recommends this: "Electric toothbrushes may be able to help kids brush more and better, but the most important thing for them to understand is why they should be brushing and what bacteria can do to harm their teeth if they're not being brushed. 

You can even bring their ETB to their dentist or hygienist so that a dental professional can show them how to use it properly and encouraged them on staying on top of their oral care."

"It's important to remember to advise your kids to not scrub with the ETB. They should be gently guiding the ETB along their gum line.

Some patients don't realize that they're using scrubbing motions with their ETB, resulting in the permanent loss of their gums (gum recession) and irreversible damage to tooth enamel from abrasion."

If you're looking for some other oral care options, check out our other suggestions.

Oral care is one of the most important things that parents should teach kids. However, brushing teeth is often a boring task for many kids. Choosing the right electric toothbrush can help you ensure the health of their teeth while giving your kids a fun experience! 

Author: Thuy Nguyen

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