The best kids’ toothbrush of 2019

You know the old refrain: Good overall health starts with good oral health. Later in life, according to experts from the Mayo Clinic, poor oral health may well lead to serious issues, like heart disease and stroke. For kids, the fallout of improper care for the teeth may only be as serious as cavities, but the habits parents help their kids establish early in life can lead to a lifetime of good oral health or a lifetime plagued by plaque, root canals, and worse.

Thus my wife and I take taking care of our kids’ teeth (and their gums) pretty seriously. We help our five-year-old son floss his teeth once a day and see to it that he brushes twice, once on his own, one session that one of us handles, just to make sure every bit of enamel gets its due. And while our daughter only has eight teeth at the time of this writing, not all of which are next to one another, she also “brushes” her own teeth once daily and gets a parental brushing at least once, too.

We have tested used every single product on this list save for the electronic toothbrush, and that’s only because we got a different kids’ electric toothbrush as a gift. Frankly, I’m thinking of replacing it with the Philips Sonicare brush featured here.

The time to start brushing your kids teeth is even before the first tooth has emerged. Gently scrubbing a baby’s gums not only starts to establish an oral hygiene routine, but it can soothe aching gums and may even facilitate those little teeth breaking through. And the time to finally fully relinquish a child’s oral care regimen into his or her hands is well after you’re 100% sure those hands can handle it.

Here are the best kids’ toothbrushes you can buy in 2019:

Keep scrolling to check out our top picks.