- I get the sticker chart thing, but honestly, the Sonicare app kept my kid engaged longer than I expected—maybe 2-3 weeks before the novelty wore off.
- For us, the Oral-B Junior replacement heads are a bit cheaper and seem to last just as long.
- With braces, I actually found the oscillating brush head on Oral-B worked better at getting around brackets. Less nagging from me, at least.
- Not saying it’s a miracle fix, but I’d take a gadget over another sticker any day if it means less arguing at bedtime...
Battle Of The Kiddo Brushes: Sonicare For Kids Vs. Oral-B Junior?
I’m still in that “read every review and overthink all the options” phase, but I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous about my daughter’s switch to electric. She’s one of those kids who will find a way to make brushing teeth last either 10 seconds or 10 minutes, depending on her mood. Here’s how it went for us, step by step:
1. **Sticker charts**: We tried them. She was into it for like a week, but then she started “forgetting” to put stickers on, and honestly, I just got tired of reminding her. I get the appeal, but it felt like one more thing for me to manage.
2. **Sonicare app**: I was skeptical, but she actually loved the little animated character that “brushed” with her. The novelty did wear off after a couple weeks (same as you mentioned), but while it lasted, she was brushing longer and actually aiming at all her teeth. I wish the app had some new games or something to keep it fresh, though. Kids get bored so fast.
3. **Oral-B Junior**: We ended up trying this after her cousin got braces and raved about it. The round brush head really does seem to get around those brackets better—my daughter doesn’t have braces yet, but she has a couple stubborn molars that are hard to reach, and the oscillating motion helps. Also, those replacement heads are cheaper, which is nice when you’re already spending too much on toothpaste they “have to have” because it tastes like bubblegum.
4. **Arguing less**: Not gonna lie, the electric brush plus a timer (built-in or app) cuts down on the bedtime drama. She still tries to negotiate (“But I brushed this morning!”), but at least I’m not standing over her counting to 120 in my head.
If I had to pick, I’d say Sonicare is more fun at first, but Oral-B is more practical long-term—especially if braces are in your future. But honestly? No brush is gonna make my kid *beg* to brush her teeth. I’m just aiming for less arguing...and maybe fewer cavities at her next checkup.
If anyone’s curious about noise level—Sonicare is quieter, which matters if you have a kid who’s jumpy about sounds. Mine thought Oral-B sounded like a tiny lawnmower at first, but she got used to it.
Anyway, hope this helps someone else who’s overthinking as much as I do.
She still tries to negotiate (“But I brushed this morning!”), but at least I’m not standing over her counting to 120 in my head.
This cracked me up—been there, done that, and yep, I still catch myself counting sometimes. I totally agree about Sonicare being more “fun” at first. My youngest was obsessed with the app’s little brushing buddy, but it faded after a while. We ended up sticking with Oral-B Junior for the same reason you mentioned: those round heads just seem to get around tricky spots better, especially once molars come in. The noise thing is real too—my son thought the Oral-B was “roaring” the first week. Now he barely notices. At the end of the day, anything that means less nagging and fewer cavities is a win in my book.
That “But I brushed this morning!” line is too familiar... My daughter pulls the same stunt, and I swear, some mornings it’s like negotiating a hostage release just to get her to brush at night. The counting thing—I still catch myself doing it, especially when she’s in one of those “bare minimum” moods and tries to skate by with a 30-second brush.
We tried Sonicare for Kids first, mostly because she loved the idea of the app and the cute characters. It worked for a few weeks—she was all about earning stars or whatever those rewards were—but then the novelty wore off. The app just became another thing to nag about. I noticed she got lazy with technique too, letting the brush do all the work instead of actually moving it around her teeth.
Swapping to Oral-B Junior was a bit of a leap because she hated the noise at first. The “roaring” description is spot on. But I have to agree, the round brush head really does seem to get around her new molars better. Less food stuck back there, for sure. And now that she’s used to it, she doesn’t even flinch at the sound.
One thing I’m still not sure about: do you guys swap out brush heads more often with kids? My dentist said every three months, but sometimes hers look frayed after just two. Not sure if she’s brushing too hard or if that’s just normal kid wear-and-tear.
Has anyone noticed if one brand seems to last longer before needing a new head? Or maybe there’s some trick to getting kids not to mash the bristles so much...
We’re in the same boat here. My son chews through brush heads like crazy—sometimes they look destroyed after a month, not three. I think he’s pressing way too hard, but even when I remind him, it doesn’t really stick. We’ve tried both Sonicare and Oral-B Junior and honestly, neither one seems to last much longer than the other for us. Maybe it’s just a kid thing... I always feel weird buying new ones so often, but I’d rather that than risk his teeth.
