Letting her pick toothpaste is actually pretty clever, but do you ever worry she’ll only want the super-sweet or sparkly ones and not get used to regular flavors? I’ve read mixed things about those novelty pastes. Does it make a difference in how well she brushes, or is it just about getting her started?
“do you ever worry she’ll only want the super-sweet or sparkly ones and not get used to regular flavors? I’ve read mixed things about those novelty pastes.”
I totally get that concern. My youngest went through a phase where she was obsessed with the blue sparkly toothpaste—honestly, it looked more like glitter glue than anything dental. At first, I worried she’d never touch minty flavors, but I realized the real win was just getting her excited about brushing in the first place.
Here’s how it played out for us:
1. We let her pick whatever fun flavor she wanted at first.
2. After a few months, we started mixing in a “grown-up” flavor every now and then, just to let her try it without pressure.
3. Eventually, she didn’t mind switching things up.
From what our dentist said, as long as the toothpaste has fluoride and you’re supervising how much goes on the brush, those novelty pastes are fine for a while. The main thing is building the habit early—flavor seems to matter less once brushing becomes routine.
I wouldn’t stress too much if she’s into the sparkles for now. It’s kind of like training wheels...they come off when she’s ready.
Honestly, I used to be a little skeptical about the glittery pastes too—like, are we brushing teeth or prepping for an art project? But in my experience, the novelty wears off faster than you’d think. Once my kiddo realized brushing was just part of the daily routine, she stopped caring as much about the flavor. We did a slow transition: half bubblegum, half mint for a bit, and eventually she just shrugged and went with whatever was in the drawer. As long as it’s got fluoride and they’re actually brushing, I wouldn’t sweat it too much.
Interesting angle—I get the logic behind not overthinking toothpaste flavors, but for us, the novelty factor was actually pretty critical. My daughter’s much more motivated by sensory stuff than routine, so we leaned into the “art project” aspect for a while. We even tried one of those electric toothbrushes that connects to an app and turns brushing into a game. She’d get points for brushing all the right spots, and the app would show her a little animation when she finished.
Honestly, it was a bit of a hassle to set up at first, but it worked way better than just switching flavors or hoping she’d get bored and cooperate. The tech angle kept her interested longer than I expected. Now she brushes without the app most days, but I think gamifying things helped solidify the habit. I guess my takeaway is that sometimes the extra bells and whistles aren’t just marketing fluff—if they get kids brushing properly, it’s worth considering.
That’s actually a really interesting point about the tech angle—not something I would’ve thought to try. Does anyone else’s kid get competitive about brushing? Mine’s all about “beating the timer” but couldn’t care less about animations or points. I wonder if it’s just different personalities, or maybe age? My youngest still acts like I’m asking her to scale Everest every time... Curious if anyone’s had luck with sticker charts or rewards outside of apps?