The 7 Best Toddler Toothbrushes

Once that first tooth shows up, it’s time to think about your child’s dental hygiene, and as they get more teeth it may be time to upgrade their toothbrush. Whether manual or electric, the best toddler toothbrushes have smaller brush heads with soft bristles to allow your little one to effectively clean without hurting their gums.

The first thing to decide is whether you’d prefer a manual or electric toothbrush for your toddler. For children under the age of 3, a manual toothbrush is recommended. As my son grew and started to protest this twice-daily ritual, my pediatrician made a great suggestion: try an electric toothbrush. A battery-powered brush can be easier for toddlers to use since they’re still honing their dexterity, so it's helpful to have the brush do more of the work, though it isn't uncommon for kids to be intimidated by its noise and vibrations or lose patience while operating an electric toothbrush. Something else worth noting: a low-tech toothbrush is a little more affordable, plus an electric toothbrush requires batteries.

Either way, be sure to choose a smaller brush head for your toddler's mouth with soft bristles that are gentle enough for your little one’s gums. Other features that may appeal to you and your toddler include an indicator for a new brush, a design that keeps the brush upright for storage, a timer that teaches little ones how long it takes to properly brush, or even a teething side for massaging sore gums. With all this in mind, here are the seven best toddler toothbrushes.

1. This Set Of Easy-To-Grip Toothbrushes That Double As Teething Rings

Aching gums from sprouting teeth can be uncomfortable for toddlers, so you may want to consider this soft toddler toothbrush that's also a teether and comes in a money-saving pack of four. Extra-soft bristles and a smaller brush head are more comfortable to maneuver around sensitive gums, but the chewable ring base with grippy nubs brings relief to your teething toddler, too.

This manual brush is designed for infants to 2-year-olds with an ergonomic handle; keep in mind this style doesn't stand upright on its own. Blue bristles in the center of the brush head provide a visual guide for the recommended amount of toothpaste, and this set includes four toothbrushes so you're set for a while. With a 4.7-star rating and over 4,000 reviews, this toothbrush is also the recipient of a Red Dot Design Award.

A helpful review: “I am a dentist and I bought this brush for my baby and my niece. I loved the variety pack of colors. These are great for kids from their first tooth until 2-3 years. My son loves chewing on his and the bristles have held up nicely. It's easy for him to hold and easy for me to hold while I brush his teeth and gums. I will purchase again in the future and would recommend this brush for quality and price.”

2. A Fun Toothbrush Set With The Best Accessories

This fun toothbrush set includes more accessories than most, but most importantly, the small brush head features soft bristles. This electric toothbrush is designed for older toddlers, ages 3 and up, and it's a much-loved one with over 3,000 reviews.

A two-minute hourglass sand timer helps toddlers brush for the recommended time to properly clean their teeth, and the stand holds everything in place or can be mounted on a wall with the included hardware. The stand holds the toothbrush with its matching dinosaur cover to keep the bristles clean, an extra brush head, the timer, and a rinse cup. And this set comes with a brushing checklist chart as well to help keep your toddler on track.

A helpful review: "We bought 3 of these (dinosaur, unicorn, and crocodile) for my kids aged 2 and 6. They all LOVE them. They look forward to brushing their teeth. They like setting the timer and using the rinse cup. Tooth brushing is no longer a chore. Yay!"

3. A Toothbrush That Easily Reaches Molars

If you're having trouble cleaning your toddler's hard-to-reach molars, you've got to try this children's molar toothbrush. The unique brush head cleans every side of a tooth at once, and the soft rounded bristles on a short brush head are gentle and comfortable for your toddler.

The ergonomic handle on this toothbrush has a soft grip and a suction bottom that keeps it upright and clean. The blue bristles in the center of the angled brush head fade to white when it's time to replace the brush. This manual pick is recommended for ages 2 and up and is available in yellow, pink, or blue.

A helpful review: “I wish this toothbrush was around 3 kids ago! It makes brushing much easier on both of us by doing such a good job covering all sides of the teeth, especially those hard to reach back molars! The bristles are soft and it’s perfect size! Definitely recommend for all toddlers!”

4. A Toddler Electric Toothbrush With A Built-In Timer

There's a lot to love about this toddler electric toothbrush, but right away two things that set it apart are its built-in two-minute timer and a rechargeable handle. The extra-soft and rounded bristles are gentle on toddler gums, and this highly rated pick, with over 6,000 reviews, is recommended for ages 3 and up.

This is a brush that can grow with your little one and is compatible with a number of different Oral-B brush heads. It has a gripped surface that's perfect for unsteady little hands and it can be stored upright on your bathroom counter. Little ones will love the ability to choose among popular characters from Frozen, Toy Story, Star Wars, and Disney Princess (a plain white and blue option is also available). And toothbrush head refills can be purchased separately.

If you're ready to splurge on an electric upgrade with sonic power, this popular pick comes with Bluetooth capabilities, an interactive free app that helps teach kids about dental hygiene, and musical alerts to keep kids on track while brushing.

A helpful review: “My kids brushed their teeth like clock work, then I would. We thought we were doing a good job. Dentist disagreed and each kid had a couple cavities. Immediately ordered these and the next visit the dentist was very impressed and no new cavities have been found since. The timer function is great for our 3 year old who has zero concept of time so he knows he has to keep going until it vibrates 4 times."

5. The Value Pack

This set of toddler toothbrushes is a great deal with six toothbrushes featuring extra-soft bristles and small brush heads that are perfect for ages 0 to 2. Each of these manual toothbrushes has a nonslip handle with cute animal designs, and the different colors can be helpful for splitting the pack between siblings.

A helpful review: “I got these for my daughter and son (toddler and infant) so I like that they come in yellow and blue because I just assign a color. [...] These are the perfect small size in thickness and length so I can reach the small teeth without it taking up a lot of room in her mouth so it was easier to move around and actually brush. For my son (infant with no teeth) I use these with a non-fluoride toothpaste to clean his tongue/gums. [...]”

6. This Toothbrush & Toothpaste Set Featuring A Toddler Favorite

A Daniel Tiger toothbrush may be just the ticket to motivate your toddler to brush their teeth. This manual brush with a friendly and familiar face has soft bristles and a toddler-size brush head that comes with a matching Daniel Tiger fluoride-free toothpaste in a fruity flavor. This highly rated toothbrush with over 3,000 reviews may even inspire your toddler to sing the "Brusha Brusha" song.

A helpful review: “Great little toothbrush for my almost 2 year old who LOVES Daniel Tiger. And now he also LOVES brushing his teeth. Been using for a few months now. Bought several of these sets.”

7. A Super Soft Toothbrush For Infants & Toddlers

This soft toddler toothbrush is one you can use from your baby's first tooth well into toddlerhood until age 3. With an impressive 4.8-star rating and over 8,000 reviews, parents commented they love this pick's extra-soft bristles and smaller brush head for their toddlers. The manual brush is designed in a fun giraffe shape that also has the benefit of standing, so it's easy to keep the bristles clean and off of surfaces. Plus, the grip on the toothbrush's base is comfortable for small hands to hold.

A helpful review: “I love that it stands on its own, its easier to maintain nice and clean. The bristles are super soft compare to other 'soft brushes.' I've used other brand brushes on my son and it made his experience very bad, it was painful and made his gums bleed. But these ones are so soft he actually enjoys getting them brushed! not to mention it matches with his giraffe pacifier :) i give [it] FIVE STARS!!!!”