Finding suitable toothpaste for your kids is vital when trying to establish an effective and stress-free tooth brushing routine. However, with so many brands offering child-friendly formulas, choosing can feel overwhelming. Fluoride level, organic status, vegan friendliness and age suitability are important to us, the adults - but important to the kids will be flavour options and how eye-catching the packaging is!
UK retailers like Amazon, Tesco, Asda and Boots have great deals on the classics from Punch and Judy and Aquafresh, plus there are organic, fluoride-free options from the likes of Jack N' Jill, Kingfisher and Green People. From those just sprouting milk teeth to the 6 to 12-year-olds caring for their adult teeth, there's a flavoured toothpaste to suit everyone.
Quick List - Top Kids' Toothpastes
Punch & Judy
Strawberry Toothpaste With Fluoride for Children Aged 3+
Ben & Anna
A Plastic-Free Toothpaste With Fluoride, Especially For Kids
Jack N' Jill
All-Natural Toothpaste With a Certified Organic Strawberry Flavour
Green People
Organic, Vegan Toothpaste for Babies and Toddlers With Added Vitamin C
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Table of Contents
For children under the age of three, the national guideline approved for use by the NHS is a tiny amount of toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1,000 ppm. Although this sounds like a lot of fluoride for your baby, the amount that is recommended is significantly less than for older children.
With this age group you should be using just a small smear of toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice. This will ensure little-to-no toothpaste is swallowed by your baby, while their teeth will still reap the rewards of included fluoride. If you prefer a lesser amount of fluoride for your littlest ones, there are brands catering toward this with half the amount of fluoride at 500 ppm. Alternatively, you can opt for a completely fluoride-free toothpaste.
Within this age bracket, the NHS still recommends a toothpaste with at least 1,000 ppm of fluoride. While it's still advised to supervise kids aged 3-6 when brushing their teeth, their motor skills are developing at a rapid rate and they should learn to spit out around the age of 3. So, this is the time to start increasing the amount of fluoride toothpaste you put on their brush.
The amount goes from a grain of rice to the size of a pea, in order to help prevent tooth decay and cavities, especially as kids start to lose their milk teeth as early as 4. Brushing their teeth correctly with a good-quality toothpaste then starts to become even more of a necessity.
Obviously, each child is unique in the way they take to brushing their teeth alongside their ever-forming taste and palate. But at the ripe old age of 6 years old, the NHS recommends, if possible, to start introducing toothpaste with adult levels of fluoride into their teeth brushing routine.
Adult toothpaste typically has 1350-1500 ppm of fluoride and a stronger taste to accompany this increase. Luckily, there are a few kids' toothpastes with adult levels of fluoride but subtler flavours for kids who aren't quite ready for the sudden leap of taste.
Fluoride-free toothpastes are safe to swallow while still having some cavity-controlling properties, making them suitable for kids of all ages. Although the cavity control formula varies from brand to brand, most are of a calcium composite, included to re-mineralise kids' teeth.
Another common trend in fluoride-free toothpaste is the exclusion of sodium lauryl sulphate or SLS - a foaming agent found in many toothpastes, cosmetics and even household cleaners. It's a great way to help a toothpaste penetrate beyond the surface of teeth, but SLS is not recommended to be swallowed.
That's why SLS-free and fluoride-free toothpaste can be a real blessing for parents worried about their kids swallowing toothpaste, especially at younger ages. While the NHS recommends the use of fluoride toothpaste, it really comes down to your own beliefs in making an informed yet personal decision.
Buying organic will ensure the ingredients within are grown without the use of chemical pesticides. Plus choosing organic is a great way to help the environment, by supporting planet-friendly farming and production practices.
If organic matters to you, keep an eye out for products stated as 100% certified organic. Some brands have varying levels of organic ingredients from just the flavouring to 50-80% of the contents.
Toothpaste doesn't automatically qualify as being a vegan product. In fact, a lot of traditional brands are known to include animal-derived ingredients. The most common of these are glycerin (when from tallow, as in other forms it can be plant-derived) and calcium phosphate, which has been extracted from animal bone char.
Some of the more natural kids' toothpastes can also include propolis, which is a compound produced by bees that helps to fight off infections. If buying cruelty-free and vegan is important to your family, you'll be pleased to know that there are many reputable brands putting an emphasis on vegan-friendly kids' toothpaste for all ages.
Helping to ease children into a life-long commitment to effective tooth brushing is greatly aided by finding a flavour they enjoy. That's why kids' toothpaste brands have created every imaginable flavour, in order to convince kids that brushing their teeth can be a tasty and worthwhile endeavour. From strawberry to orange or blueberry to mandarin, there's a flavour to suit every kid's taste buds.
One flavour that is popular among adult toothpastes but can be an acquired taste for kids is mint. Due to its stronger taste, mint is known as the flavour most likely to be spat back out by younger children. You can however find brands offering gentler mint flavours for kids.
For even more tooth-protection products, check out our recommendations for the best teething toys, the best multivitamins for kids and the best electric toothbrushes for kids.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Punch & Judy Simply Strawberry Flavour Kids' Toothpaste |50 ml | ![]() | Strawberry Toothpaste With Fluoride for Children Aged 3+ | |
2 | Ben & Anna Strawberry Toothpaste With Fluoride For Kids|100 ml | ![]() | A Plastic-Free Toothpaste With Fluoride, Especially For Kids | |
3 | Jack N' Jill Strawberry Natural Toothpaste|50 ml | ![]() | All-Natural Toothpaste With a Certified Organic Strawberry Flavour | |
4 | Green People Organic Children Mandarin & Aloe Vera Toothpaste|50 ml | ![]() | Organic, Vegan Toothpaste for Babies and Toddlers With Added Vitamin C | |
5 | Lavera Calendula & Calcium Kids' Toothpaste |75 ml | ![]() | 100% Organic and Vegan Toothpaste for Kids of All Ages | |
6 | Kingfisher Natural 75ml Strawberry Children's Toothpaste|75 ml | ![]() | Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Flavoured With Real Fennel, Strawberries and Peppermint | |
7 | Urtekram Organic Children's Tutti Fruitti Toothpaste|75 ml | ![]() | Organic Tutti Frutti Toothpaste for an Impressive Price | |
8 | Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Mint Toothpaste for Children 6-12 Years|50 ml | ![]() | Dentist-Recommended Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth | |
9 | Zendium Zendium Kids' Toothpaste Red Fruit Flavour|50 ml | ![]() | Kids’ Toothpaste With Natural Antibacterial Enzymes and a Low Fluoride Level | |
10 | Aquafresh Little Teeth Kids' Mild Mint 3-5 Years |75 ml | ![]() | High in Fluoride to Prevent Tooth Decay |
Based on the traditional puppet show of Punch & Judy, this cult classic has been cleaning children's teeth for longer than most. It exceeds the NHS-recommended fluoride level, so it's sure to provide a more-than-adequate level of cavity protection.
Their simple strawberry-flavoured toothpaste is incredibly popular with kids all over the world who don't like the classic toothpaste taste of mint - although they do offer a 'hint of mint' flavour as well as a bubblegum (tuttifrutti) option too. Also the eye-catching packaging is sure to prompt some nostalgic entertainment at tooth brushing time.
This plastic free toothpaste in a glass jar is from the legendary vegan eco duo of Ben & Anna and it's aimed at kids. It offers gentle, vegan-friendly protection against tooth decay and bad breath, with a child-friendly fluoride level of 500 ppm.
The subtle strawberry flavour is popular with children and the lack of plastic makes a very welcome change to most toothpastes out there. A cute mini bamboo spatula is included for adults to scoop out the contents with. The glass jar does however mean that children won't be able to 'helpfully' hold the paste, for safety reasons.
Jack & Jill offer this tempting organically-flavoured strawberry toothpaste, which has been produced with 100% natural and organic ingredients. With the inclusion of the plant-derived calendula, it's a great toothpaste to help soothe sore gums.
This Australian brand sources the finest all-natural ingredients, creating an amazing-tasting product using the sugar alternative xylitol, which is extracted from birch wood. This makes for an extremely popular health-conscious toothpaste, without fluoride, available in an impressive array of natural flavours!
A completely natural, organic and vegan toothpaste with a mild mandarin and aloe vera flavour, the all-natural ingredients list (and lack of fluoride) makes this a super-safe toothpaste if used or swallowed by even the youngest of children.
The good vibes don't stop there though, as Green People have added vitamin C, for protective antioxidant action on gums. This is a quality, conscious toothpaste that's recommended for children of all ages.
With a mild fruity flavour (reminding reviewers of bubblegum), this toothpaste has been made with completely vegan-friendly ingredients including plant-based calcium and calendula, which are designed to soothe sore gums and give added cavity protection.
It's also fluoride-free, making it a safe option for kids of all ages. Knowing it's 100% certified organic gives you added assurance that the ingredients are safe for use by your children. All Lavera products are well-known for having excellent eco-credentials and this one has cute packaging too!
British brand Kingfisher emphasise that their toothpaste is blended from real fennel, strawberry and peppermint. This means no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners or preservatives have found their way into this toothpaste.
It's also a vegan-friendly paste, that's thoughtfully gluten-, GM- and SLS-free, so it's allergy-friendly too. Overall, this is a high-grade, fluoride-free natural toothpaste that also tastes great and can be used by kids of all ages.
Danish health and beauty company Urtekram pride themselves on being an eco-conscious brand focused on producing high-quality organic products. This children's toothpaste is no exception, with an all-organic and vegan blend that's fluoride- and SLS-free, making it safe for any kid to use.
Its flavour actually comes from aloe vera, myrrh and magnolia bark - which may not appeal to all, but is sensibly marketed as 'tutti frutti'. These hard working ingredients protect the gums and help maintain good oral health. Compared to many organic children's products, it's also very affordable.
Sensodyne's Pronamel formula has been devised with input from dentists to protect and strengthen the enamel of the teeth. It's also a toothpaste with a high level of fluoride at 1,450 ppm, giving added protection against those dreaded cavities for kids in the age range of 6-12 years.
Hopefully, the gentle-tasting mint flavour will suit kids of this age bracket, while freshening up their breath for the day at school. It's also a bit of a bargain, so it'll potentially be yours and your kids' go-to toothpaste for a few years to come.
Zendium's natural toothpaste is designed for kids with milk teeth between the ages of 1 and 6. It has a low level of fluoride at 500 ppm, making it a less risky option if you're worried about the kids swallowing too much toothpaste.
With antibacterial enzymes included to help the mouth's natural defences against infection, it's a thoughtful toothpaste that will promote good oral hygiene. The only point of possible concern is that these enzymes are derived from potential allergens of egg and milk proteins, which some kids might not get on with.
The ever-popular Aquafresh have created a big toothpaste for little teeth. With 1,450 ppm of fluoride it's up at the recommended adult level. This gives your child maximum cavity protection but will require a little extra supervision to make sure they don't swallow too much.
It's also flavoured with a hint of mint, which is good for fresh breath but may not suit the taste buds of some 3-5-year-olds. It's a cost-effective buy, though, so you won't take too much of a hit if they don't like it!
Kids' toothpaste is different in two main ways; fluoride levels are much lower (1,000 ppm for up to 6 year olds) and there are far more flavours to choose from, rather than just mint. Usage instructions will differ too, a smear of paste for under 3s, a pea size for those aged 3 to 6.
The usual sweeteners in kids’ toothpaste are xylitol and sodium saccharin. Xylitol is a natural alternative to sugar, it's derived from the fibres of plants, tastes as sweet as sugar but has only 1/3 of the calories. Sodium saccharin is an artificial sweetener which is much sweeter than sugar, but some are allergic to it.
Children should brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. Get them to spit out after but not rinse, or else the fluoride will be washed away. Don't use mouthwash straight after brushing for the same reason. Kids will likely need supervising up to the age of 8 to ensure effective brushing.
No. 1: Punch & Judy|Simply Strawberry Flavour Kids' Toothpaste |50 ml
No. 2: Ben & Anna|Strawberry Toothpaste With Fluoride For Kids|100 ml
No. 3: Jack N' Jill |Strawberry Natural Toothpaste|50 ml
No. 4: Green People|Organic Children Mandarin & Aloe Vera Toothpaste|50 ml
No. 5: Lavera|Calendula & Calcium Kids' Toothpaste |75 ml
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