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Best Kids Toothpaste

Updated: Jan 27, 2024 1:51 PM
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To help you find the best toothpaste for kids, we researched dozens of products, including most of the top brands, researching for cleaning ability and safety, favoring pastes that are free of artificial colors, fragrances and preservatives. We also wanted to make sure they tasted great, to better suit a kid-friendly palate, and were certified by the American Dental Association.

The best product we researched was easily Tom’s of Maine Anticavity Children’s Toothpaste, which comes in four delicious flavors, with a strawberry variety available without fluoride. Toms toothpaste cleans gently, using calcium and silica, and is free of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and flavors. Toms of Maine natural toothpaste is accepted by the American Dental Association and it comes in a three-pack, all at a reasonable price point. Keep reading to learn more about Tom’s of Maine Anticavity Children’s Toothpaste and make sure to look at our top electric toothbrush buying guide, which work great for kids as well.

Top 7 Best Kid’s Toothpaste Compared

 #1  Tom’s of Maine Anticavity Children’s Toothpaste

Award: Top Pick

WHY WE LIKE IT: Uses gentle cleaners, such as calcium and silica, and is free of anything artificial, accepted by the ADA and comes in a three pack, increasing its value. This is just a high quality toothpaste that kids will love the taste of and one of the best natural toothpastes. They are a popular toothpaste brand for a reason.

Pros
  • Tastes great, perfect for kids
  • Comes in three-pack at low price
  • Uses calcium and silica to clean
Cons
  • All but strawberry have fluoride
  • Toothpaste contains sodium lauryl sulfate
  • Not a training toothpaste so not safe to swallow

Tom’s of Maine Anticavity Children’s Toothpaste boasts a great taste, available in four flavors, while offering gentle cleaning via the use of calcium and silica. This product is completely free of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and flavors and is approved for use by the American Dental Association. It also comes in a pack of three 4.2 ounce tubes at a reasonably low price point, making this a good value.

Related: Check out our best toothpaste.

While this toothpaste does clean gently, via the aforementioned cleaning agents, most of the varieties feature anticavity fluoride as an ingredient, though you can order one, Silly Strawberry, without the controversial add-in. It also contains another controversial ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate. And make sure to pick up the best floss and pickers to give your child’s hygiene an extra boost.

 #2  Hello Oral Care Kids Toothpaste

Award: Honorable Mention

WHY WE LIKE IT: Gently cleans teeth without the use of controversial ingredients, such as fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate, and comes in two yummy flavors, watermelon and bubble gum. This is a great product for parents looking to avoid kids fluoride and SLS.

Pros
  • No fluoride or SLS
  • Available in watermelon or bubble gum
  • Gentle cleaning with aloe vera
Cons
  • Not ADA certified
  • Not for kids with coconut allergies
  • Not a training toothpaste so not safe to swallow

Hello Oral Care Kids Toothpaste is completely free of fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate, while still ably cleaning teeth via gentle ingredients, such as silica and aloe vera. It comes in two kid-friendly flavors, watermelon and bubble gum, and is free from artificial dyes, colors sweeteners and preservatives. The product is also completely vegan and certified to have never been tested on animals. Much like some of our top picks on our best shower curtain and best shower curtain liner buying guide.

Though this is a high quality product and a kids fluoride free toothpaste, it does not boast an official certification from the American Dental Association. Additionally, it does contain some coconut-derived ingredients, which will not be suitable for kids that are allergic to the product.

 #3  Aquafresh Kids Pump Toothpaste

Award: Best Value

WHY WE LIKE IT: Six 4.6 ounce containers for one low price, with gentle cleaning and a kid-friendly bubble mild mint flavor. This is a great fluoride toothpaste for parents looking for a value, as these six tubes will last you a while. Aquafreshs kids toothpaste is another popular brand with the little ones.

Pros
  • 6 pack for low price
  • Toothpaste comes in 4.6 oz, as opposed to usual 4.2 oz
  • Bubble mint flavor tastes great
Cons
  • Contains fluoride
  • Contains sodium lauryl sulfate
  • Contains artificial colors

Aquafresh Kids Pump Toothpaste comes in a handy six pack, with each tube containing 4.6 ounces of product, at a relatively low price point, making this a great value. The toothpaste cleans gently and features a pleasing bubble mint flavor that is appropriate for both kids and adults.

If you are wary of artificial colors and dyes, this product does contain some. It also cleans teeth via the use of fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate, both controversial ingredients. This toothpaste is recommended for children two and up and should not be swallowed, as it is not intended for training purposes. Clean teeth are a must for a healthy mouth, which is why toothpaste is at the top of the bathroom essentials list.

 #4  Orajel PAW Patrol Training Toothpaste

Award: Best Training Toothpaste

WHY WE LIKE IT: Shines as a training toothpaste and is completely free of fluoride, SLS, artificial dyes, sugar and gluten, in addition to boasting a kid-friendly fruit flavor. This is just a stellar product to get kids started with brushing their teeth (we review the best electric toothbrushes).

Pros
  • Great training toothpaste
  • Free of fluoride, SLS and artificial dyes
  • Kid-friendly fruit flavor
Cons
  • Each pack is only 1.5 oz
  • Can buy multi-packs, but price doesn’t go down
  • Toothpaste gets sticky and hard to remove towards end of tube

Orajel PAW Patrol Training Toothpaste is intended as a training product, as such it is completely free of fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial flavors, artificial colors, gluten, sugar and anything else that could trigger a child’s allergies. It boasts a kid-friendly fruit flavor and cleans gently, via a number of standard ingredients, such as potassium sorbate.

Each tube of this toothpaste is only 1.5 ounces, which means the price could add up if you buy multiple units. We also noticed that the toothpaste got sticky around halfway through the tube and became difficult to squeeze out.

 #5  Burt’s Bees Kids Toothpaste

Award: Best Flavor

WHY WE LIKE IT: Boasts the best flavor we researched, a pleasing fruit fusion, and cleans without sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial colors, preservatives or dyes. This is a great product for parents with finicky kids, as the flavor cannot be beat.

Pros
  • Fantastic fruit flavor
  • No SLS
  • ADA accepted
Cons
  • Contains fluoride
  • Not for kids with coconut allergies
  • Not a training toothpaste so not safe to swallow

Burt’s Bees Kids Toothpaste is a great tasting product, using the stevia plant to create a kid-friendly fruity flavor. The product cleans gently, via silica and other agents, and does not contain any artificial colors, preservatives or dyes. Additionally, it is free from sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and is accepted by the American Dental Association.

Though this toothpaste is free from most controversial ingredients, it does contain fluoride, which could be off putting to some parents. Additionally, it contains cocaylglumate, which is made from coconut oil, which could trigger certain allergies.

 #6  Tanner’s Tasty Paste

Award: Most Unique Flavors

WHY WE LIKE IT: Boasts a variety of unique flavors, based on ice cream, that are sure to suit a child’s palate, without the need of sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial dyes or sweeteners. This is a great product for kids who want to try new flavors.

Pros
  • Unique and tasty flavors
  • No SLS or artificial dyes
  • Sugar free and gluten free
Cons
  • Most expensive product on list
  • Not ADA accepted
  • Contains fluoride

Tanner’s Tasty Paste is, well, a tasty paste, featuring unique flavors based on ice cream, such as vanilla and chocolate, and cleaning gently via silica and other ingredients. The product is free from sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners and preservatives, making it a great choice for kids.

This is a high quality product, but it is also the highest priced item on this list. If you are budget conscious, this may not be the toothpaste for you. Additionally, it does contain fluoride which could be a no go for some parents.

 #7  Crest Kid’s Cavity Protection Toothpaste

Award: Best Budget

WHY WE LIKE IT: Extremely budget-friendly price point, coming in a pack of three with each tube containing 4.2 ounces, with a bubblegum flavor kids are sure to like. This is a great product for budget conscious families.

Pros
  • Low price point
  • Great bubblegum flavor
  • ADA accepted
Cons
  • Contains fluoride
  • Not a training toothpaste so not safe to swallow
  • Contains SLS

Crest Kid’s Cavity Protection Toothpaste is a no frills product that is extremely budget conscious, coming in a pack of three 4.2 ounce tubes for a low price. The toothpaste cleans gently, via silica and other ingredients, and features a tasty bubblegum flavor that is sure to please finicky children. It is also approved by the American Dental Association, which is a nice bonus.

This toothpaste does contain several ingredients that some parents are wary of, including fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate. Additionally, it is not intended as a training toothpaste so be sure to watch your kids to make sure they don’t swallow any.

How We Decided

To help us narrow down to the above list, we looked for kid-friendly toothpastes that tasted great, featuring exciting flavors such as bubblegum and vanilla, that will encourage kids to brush their teeth regularly. We also focused on finding products that cleaned teeth gently, often using ingredients such as silica and calcium. Additionally, we tended to favor products that were approved for use by the American Dental Association as they will help prevent tooth decay and prevent cavities for the best oral health.

We also made sure to include a nice mix of toothpastes that allow the use of fluoride and those that do not, as the ingredient is controversial to some parents but the American Dental Association approves it as a high-quality cleaning agent. The same goes for sodium lauryl sulfate, which parents are wary of due to rumored carcinogenic properties, though that has not been proven.

As far as inactive ingredients, we tended to favor toothpaste free of anything artificial, including dyes, flavorings and preservatives. We also picked a few products that were free of sugar, gluten and other suspicious add-ins.

Kids Toothpaste Buying Guide

The Most Important Features to Consider

  1. Fluoride and SLS
    Some parents are wary of certain toothpaste ingredients, especially fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS.) Fluoride has been approved for use by the American Dental Association and is a main ingredient in many brands, still wary parents may want to choose a product that is fluoride-free, as many of the above toothpastes are. Additionally, there was some concern that SLS was a carcinogen, but there hasn’t been much research to back up that claim, though it is classed as an irritant.
  2. Training Toothpaste
    If your child is just getting started with brushing their teeth, or if they are under two years old, you may want to get a training toothpaste, like Orajel PAW Patrol. These toothpastes use minimal ingredients to clean extremely gently and are safe to swallow. If you are worried your child may swallow a traditional toothpaste, just keep an eye on them as they brush.
  3. Taste
    Taste is perhaps the most important metric for a toothpaste aimed at kids. You want them to like it, after all and brush teeth regularly. Most of the above products boast kid-friendly flavors, such as bubblegum and vanilla ice cream. They usually achieve these flavorings without the need for artificial ingredients or preservatives, which is an added boon for parents. There are also toothpastes for babies as well as teething babies.

FAQs

  • Can adults use these toothpastes?
    Sure. These toothpaste for children choices taste great and will clean teeth, with most being approved to do so by the American Dental Association. We don’t see any reason why adults could not partake.
  • Can kids use a toothpaste aimed at adults?
    On average, toothpastes aimed at children use gentler ingredients, with different ratios, than their adult toothpaste counterparts. It has been recommended by the American Dental Association that children remain using kid-friendly toothpaste until they are nine years old, at which point they can switch to regular brands.
  • What is a training toothpaste?
    Training toothpastes are safe to swallow, making them perfect for younger children, two years and below. They are intended to get kids used to brushing their teeth and, as such, use extremely gentle cleaning agents.
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