I am trying to make instill good habits on my 3yr old. I have already got him excited about brushing his teeth and was going great. Was finally able to make the transition from baby toothpaste to kid’s toothpaste that contained fluoride. I purchased the crest kids bubble gum flavor kind of toothpaste and he was very excited the first days using big boy’s toothpaste, but not any longer. He says it is uncomfortable on his mouth. I figure what happens is that the mint is too strong for his mouth and stings a little. This happens to me also, therefore I imagine that this is what is going on. Do you know of any other kid’s toothpaste in the market that contains only a small amount of mint.
You can get ACT mouthwash--it's pink usually, and just dip the tips of the bristles in and brush, so he gets a little fluoride on his teeth, but no foam or sting.
We use Tom's of Maine. It's strawberry flavor and we just use the tiniest smidge because my 3 year old son doesn't know how to swish and spit so I only give him a tiny amount. My son love to brush his teeth.
I have twin 3 1/2 year old boys. One LOVES toothpaste, just LOVES it. Now that he is "older and a big boy" he uses our "grown up" paste. My other son cannot stand ANY toothpaste, and we have tried them ALL...over and over and over again!! I just purchased Tom's Natural Toothpaste with floride and the flavor is Strawberry. I tested it out first and it is YUMMY! My anti-toothpaste guy was very apprehensive about trying it (the color is kind of weird...greyish), but once it was on the brush and in his mouth he was very happy...or should I say, he tolerated it and actually enjoyed brushing his teeth and did not whine about it :)
Good luck!
I haven't used it myself but Aim's kid's toothpaste smells so good - like Jolly Rancher watermelon candies. My kids like it. I agree with people who said not to use too much. Some of them seem sickeningly sweet. Not the same as mint of course but it just may be too much of any strong taste in his mouth.
I know you can get lots of different flavors of toothpaste for kids. My daughter uses a bubble gum flavor. We still use a fluoride free one for my 3 1/2 year old because I can't get him to figure out how to spit at all. I have tried many things but it doesn't work. I don't think it really matters if you switch to a fluoride one or not at this point. I would keep using one he likes so he continues to enjoy the good habits you are helping him form.
There are many organic toothpastes out there - try the whole food stores. I am sure they have kids toothpaste with little or no mint in them.
or
Reduce the amount of toothpaste he is putting on the brush and give him a cup to keep by the sink and let him drink water when he is done.
Or get him a mouth wash and teach him how to "swirl and spit".
Good luck
We use Thom's of Maine for kids. It comes in strawberry or orange and it is natural so it is better for the little guy :)
I use Tom's of Maine toothpaste, it's a fluoride toothpaste. My kids don't like any of the mint toothpastes, they don't need mint anyway.
I use Tom's of Maine children's toothpaste myself because I don't like the strong ingredients in adult toothpaste. I find it annoying that there are so many ingredients (whiteners, etc.) nowadays they have to be covered up with strong flavors. Sorry, I'm a cranky old lady. So I sympathize with your little one. You might try Tom's of Maine Outrageous Orange-Mango; it's pretty mild. Did you examine his mouth for canker sores and that sort of thing? You might also check his toothbrush for wayward bristles. The little guys can't always tell us what the problem really is.
I would not use flouride toothpaste. I guess I should say we don't use flouride toothpaste. You might want to research it. Studies show that there is no noticable difference in actual tooth health, and it is a poison (which is why they don't have it in children's toothpaste).
just use the brush.........no absolute need for paste.........brush will clean the teeth.....
My little ones use Little Bear. I have no idea what it tastes like, but I know my 10 year old prefers it as well. All I know is it says it is a toddler toothpaste and safe to swallow.
I am so glad to read that my daughter is not the only one...the mom who said her daughter says pop is "spicy" those were Kristen's exact same verdict on pop = ) All Kristen will drink is water or chocolate milk.
What Nina said. Our dentist recommended we dip the toothbrush into ACT fluoride wash (the pink one is bubble gum flavored). Not as much fluoride as toothpaste, and not as overwhelming flavor-wise. Once they are really, really good at spitting, then move them on to fluoride toothpaste.
Hi! My 4 yr old uses Silly Strawberry flavor from Tom's of Maine. It has no mintiness at all. It also does not have fluoride. They may make a version with fluoride if that is super important to you. However, you may want to look into fluoride a bit more b/c it seems to me there is very little, if any, benefit to it and lots of risk.
My 4y LOVES the Kids Aquafresh.
http://www.amazon.com/Aquafresh-Fluoride-Toothpaste-Prote...
My daughter is almost 17 and STILL has this issue and uses Kids Aquafresh. Its the only mainstream brand she likes and has always used.
She will likely go off to college in another year with Kids Aquafresh! LOL But this is the same kid who rarely has ever drank soda pop..."Its too SPICY, Momma" I heard when she was about 4/5 and Grandma INSISTED she wanted to try Gramma's Diet Coke...WRONG Gramma...she does not like POP! Shes a tea girl! Always has been! No bubbles.
Now as an older teen ager, she has an entire shelf of tea bag boxes...all sorts of flavors and varieties...carries a baggie of tea bags in her oversized jumbo purse!
So Aquafresh Kids to College for us I bet!
Well, didn't you say it was bubble gum flavor? Is it mint bubble gum? Regardless of the flavor I think the sweetness of it could be a bit overwhelming. You could try using less. If he was hesitant to make the jump from baby to regular it could just be a comfort thing rather than a taste thing. I'm not suggesting to force him per say, but maybe just keep telling him that this is the big kid stuff and it will take a while to get used to using it, etc. It also might help to just have him pick out his own kind. Colgate has a ton of different pictures on the toothpaste and my daughter loves to just pick it out herself. You might have to throw the other one away, which is wasteful, but honestly, $3 might be worth it! ;)
On another note, I've always seen Tom's of Maine and wondered about it...I may have to give it a try since it got so many glowing recommendations!
