The best baby first toothbrushes

baby first toothbrushes

by Aimee Jakes |
Updated on

Your baby's first teeth - aka milk teeth - might only be temporary, but it's still important to take care of them with one of the best baby first toothbrushes for their teeth. Even before any teeth appear, it's a good idea to start playing and practising with child-friendly toothbrushes and toothpaste because it is great for getting your little one used to the feeling. While they might not yet be ready for a kids electric toothbrush, there are plenty of baby-friendly brushes on the market that are safe for baby teeth and gums.

The best baby first toothbrushes at a glance:

Best baby toothbrush with deep clean bristles: Brush-Baby First FlossBrush – Buy now at Amazon

Best baby electric toothbrush: Brush-Baby Baby Sonic Electric Toothbrush – Buy now at Amazon

Best baby teeth cleaning cloth: MAM Oral Care Rabbit Cloth –Buy now at Amazon

Starting oral care with a child-friendly toothbrush from an early age is also an important step to creating a life-long habit of regular brushing, and tooth brushing can begin as soon as the baby's first tooth pokes through the gums. The NHS states that paediatric dentists recommend cleaning baby's gums after feedings, which helps fight bacterial growth and promotes good oral health.

While some babies take to a regular toothbrush quickly, others may prefer a finger toothbrush at first. And while there's no need for toothpaste for babies, as they grow up they may want to try some toddler toothpaste for brushing.

To help you find your baby's first toothbrush, we have rounded up the best baby first toothbrushes you can buy today. One top tip to help your little one get used to toothbrushing is to let them choose their brush. This will give them a boost of confidence and ownership and one of these is sure to tickle their fancy.

The best baby baby first toothbrushes

Best baby toothbrush with deep clean bristles

Awarded Gold at the 2020 M&B Awards for Best Bathtime Product Brush-Baby's First FlossBrush is the ideal toothbrush to get your little one started. It's a fun design while being short and easy for them to hold onto. Parents can feel assured as the First FlossBrush has soft 'deep clean' bristles, so they won't be too hard on their teeth.

Our mum tester Jasmine said: "My daughter is 22 months old and can be a struggle to get her to brush her teeth. This toothbrush worked really well, and she really enjoyed holding it and trying to brush her own teeth. It doesn’t take as long now to brush her teeth morning and night. She won’t let me hold the toothbrush at all because she likes it so much!"

Read our full review of the Brush-Baby First FlossBrush.

Pros

  • Multipack
  • Comfortable grip

Cons

  • Limited character designs and colours

Best baby electric toothbrush

Brush-Baby Baby Sonic Electric Toothbrush
Price: £19.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$19.99View offer

Awarded Silver at the 2015 M&B Awards for Best Bathtime Product

This is a best-seller on Amazon, most likely due to its super-easy handling. This toothbrush comes with a tiny brush head with super-soft bristles, with a timer for two minutes and a pulse every 30 seconds. It's guaranteed to make teeth-brushing more fun for your little one with a fun light-up feature, perfect for kids aged 0-26 months. Light, small and gentle for little mouths, they can pretend to brush like Mum and Dad with their very own electric brush.

This package includes a replacement brush head and 1 x AAA battery.

One reviewer said: "Great for the little one. She started to use it when she was 18 months and liked it. The light on it is a good extra touch what makes it more interesting. Easy to use."

Read our full review of the Brush-Baby Baby Sonic Electric Toothbrush.

Pros

  • Travel-sized
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Only for children up to 3 years old

Best chewable baby toothbrush

Shortlisted in the 2014 and 2017 M&B Awards for Best Bathtime Product

Designed by a dentist, Brush-Baby's Chewable Toothbrush helps to clean teeth, massage gums and soothe teething gums as it is chewed. The H-shaped head is filled with soft silicone bristles that help to clean all surfaces of the top and bottom teeth and gums as it is chewed. It's a brilliant idea – just add toothpaste and let your baby gnaw away. It’s dishwasher friendly, easy for babies to hold and can also be used to apply the teething gel.

Review: "We were struggling to get our daughter to let us clean her teeth and I didn’t want to put her off it by making her scared of it. She likes to chew this herself, you don’t even always need toothpaste."

Pros

  • Dentist designed
  • BPA free

Cons

  • Smaller children may struggle with gripping this brush

Best bamboo baby toothbrush

Good for the environment and good for your little one's gums. Suitable from six months old, this super-soft brush with charcoal-infused bristles is perfect for keeping little teeth clean. The charcoal helps absorb bacteria and debris, the gentle bristles help to remove plaque and massage young gums, and the toothbrush is nice and lightweight for holding.

Review: "My two-year-old loves his new toothbrush. Nice and soft bristles, much better than a plastic brush."

Pros

  • Bio-degradable
  • Vegan

Cons

  • Needs replacing every three months

Best double-sided baby toothbrush

This angled finger toothbrush from John Lewis cleans and massages all sides of their little teeth and gums at once. Considering the fact it's a double-sided brush head, this toothbrush cleans both top and bottom at the same time, all while protecting your finger if baby bites down!

Review: " Great first toothbrush, my baby loves this toothbrush and its easy to use on teeth and gums. Also the bristles are soft so it makes it easier for me to use it on my little ones teeth. It is also perfect for traveling as its small and compact. Its also not that expensive so it can be a nice baby shower gift if you want to gift something thoughtful."

Pros

  • Protects your finger
  • Great for quick cleaning

Cons

  • Better suited to teething babies and first-tooth brushing

Best baby teeth cleaning cloth

This is a different tool to help you to clean your baby's mouth before the first tooth appears. This rabbit-shaped cloth will massage sensitive gums, making back areas reachable. Simply slip your fingers in the ears and go! It will also help your little one get used to having something poking in their mouth and around their gums (it can also be helpful to ease the pain of teething). This cloth is machine washable, BPA-free and comes in pink or blue.

Review: "I like this product because is a soft and funny toy to play with my seven months old daughter. I can put my finger in her mouth to clean her gums and the two small teeth that came through recently. From now I also use a small toothbrush."

Pros

  • Great for massaging gums
  • Soft for babies' mouths

Cons

  • Doesn't protect your fingers

Best baby toothbrush set

MAM Learn to Brush Toothbrush Set comes with two brushes, one with a long handle for baby and parent to brush together and one with a short and compact handle for children that can brush independently. Both round heads adapt perfectly to baby's mouth. It cleverly comes with red bristles that indicate the proper amount of toothpaste to use.

Reviews: "This is a good product for teething babies, helps reduce the discomfort for the moment, it's durable, easy to clean. The head is a bit small in my opinion. Otherwise fine."

Pros

  • Two-pack
  • Safety shield to minimise choking risk

Cons

  • Some parents found the bristles too hard for their baby's sensitive gums

Best value baby toothbrush

This Wisdom Step By Step Super Soft Toothbrush is designed for use from birth to two years. It's a combination of a toothbrush and teething ring, with a short neck for brushing safely and textured sections to relieve gum irritation. It's a great little first toothbrush with an easy-to-grip handle for small hands.

Review: "Great first toothbrush! My little boy has just turned one and i brought this one to get him used to holding and brushing his teeth! He loves it and got the idea quickly!"

Pros

  • Recyclable
  • Easy grip handle

Cons

  • Not suitable for children over two

Best baby training toothbrush

NUK Training Toothbrush Set

Rrp: £22.00

Price: £14.32
Alternative retailers
Walmart$18.69View offer

This toothbrush can be used from six months. The set includes two brushes: a cleaning trainer and a brushing trainer. The cleaning trainer is designed to be chewed and gently cleans and massages the gums and palate; the brushing trainer helps children get used to a toothbrush and gently cleans their first teeth.

Review: "Brilliant for teething babies. He has two front teeth so far and give him this when I am cleaning my teeth so he gets used to hold a brush and putting it into his mouth. Lovely to have the guard as well so stops him putting it in too far."

Pros

  • Two brushes included
  • Includes protective ring

Cons

  • Not all children took to the more solid bristles

Best baby dental wipes

Brush-Baby Dental Wipes
Price: £17.88

This is a box of 28 individually hygienically wrapped dental wipes, suitable for babies from 0-16 months. These soft, disposable wipes are gently formulated and uniquely textured to help cleanse delicate gums and first baby teeth with tooth-friendly ingredient Xylitol. Great for carrying on the go to keep your little one's mouth clean, the wipes will wrap around any size finger for easy cleaning.

Review: "The wipes are great to keeps babies gums clean and breath smelling fresh. She loves the flavour very much would recommend for formula feeding mums. Little bit on expensive end and would appreciate a offer if you buy multiple boxes."

Pros

  • Ideal for gentle cleaning
  • Biodegradable and compostable

Cons

  • Some babies might not like the smell/flavour

Best baby teether

This fun-shaped toothbrush can be used as a teether or as a finger toothbrush. It comes with an ergonomically shaped handle, which is easy for little ones to grip and has been recommended by dentists and liked by parents. Suitable for 0-24 months, this toothbrush will help encourage good oral hygiene early with thick bristles to brush teeth and round points to massage sore teething gums.

Review: "Perfect teether for my eight month old. Easy to hold, easy to clean and can be attached to soother clips. This one is far better than other sellers as it comes with a very handy silicone finger toothbrush. Arrived very quickly too. Highly recommend."

Pros

  • Fun design
  • BPA free

Cons

  • Difficult for some babies to grip

As recommended by the M&B Awards

This uniquely cute soft-silicone toothbrush is great for cleaning your little one's mouth thoroughly. The 360-degree rotating brush head helps to clean the mouth, gums and tongue with different brush heads to suit your baby's teething stage. The adorable koala design is easy to grip, and soft, and the head works well as a buffer to prevent your baby from putting it too far into their mouth.

Review: "Product is cute and a good size for my 6 month to hold. His coordination is still off but he can hold the brush and guide it to his mouth. Has 3 different attachments. They are easy to change and come in a small plastic box for travel and remaining clean."

Pros

  • 360-degree bristle
  • Includes two replaceable heads

Cons

  • Some little ones could pull the heads off

Best sustainable baby toothbrush

Wild & Stone Organic Baby Bamboo Toothbrush
Price: £12.50

If you're looking for a sustainable, plastic-free toothbrush, this is the pick for you! These 100 per cent biodegradable, BPA-free bamboo toothbrushes are stylish and designed specifically for babies. They have soft bristles, easy to grip handles and a smaller brush head. This pack of 4 contains a mix of fun coloured handles to choose from.

Review: "My son absolutely loves it. Soft bristles and easy handle. It has made teeth brushing much nicer for both of us."

Pros

  • Biodegradable
  • 4-pack

Cons

  • Some parents found the bristles were too hard for baby gums

What is the best way to brush your baby's teeth?

Buying one of these high-quality baby first toothbrushes for your baby is a good way to ensure you are doing it correctly.

You will also need to use a specific toothpaste for your baby. Brushing gently both sides of each tooth and gums is important. Like Katie Piper does with her daughter Belle, create a routine around it, doing it at least twice a day. Remember to go easy and make the experience a calming and fun one. It's a good idea to let your little one play around with the toothbrush, so they can familiarise themselves.

Even before your baby’s first tooth pops through, it’s a good idea to start brushing. This will get them used to the sensation. Twice a day, smear a tiny amount of low-fluoride toothpaste on a baby toothbrush and gently brush in a circular motion. Don’t rinse, the toothpaste works better if it stays in their mouth. Encourage them to join in with the brushing – even if it’s simply chewing the brush!

When do you make your baby’s first dentist appointment?

The earlier, the better. You need to learn how to look after your baby’s teeth and gums as soon as they first appear. A good way to make your baby get used to this is by taking them along with you when you visit the dentist. Even though your little one will lose their first teeth, they are important for your baby's development, helping with food chewing as well as speech development.

The best baby and toddler toothpaste

Now that you have the right tools to help your bubba clean their teeth, it's essential to find the right toothpaste. From ensuring that your child uses a pea-size amount to brush with to picking a kids' toothpaste with less fluoride, there are lots of things to consider.

How we test and choose recommended products

Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.

Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.

For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.

Aimee Jakes is the Shopping and Community Editor at Bauer Media where she works on fitness, fashion and beauty content across a number of titles such as heat, Closer and Grazia. Her hobbies include truffle mac and cheese, Class Pass and relentlessly checking (and scolding!) the weather app.

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