Three Year Old Won't Use Regular Toothpaste

Tom's of Maine makes several different flavors of toothpaste, including strawberry and apricot. You can get it in both fluoride-free and with fluoride. We've been using it for years. The kids love it.

There are many children's toothpastes out there now with other flavors besides mint. There's bubblegum, grape, orange etc. in the flaovors made for children. My daughter used to like Crest's Barbie Bubblegum. I've seen Colgate's cartoon character toothpastes for kids in kid-friendly flavors as well.

I had the same problem with my two boys. The only thing I can get them to use is Colgate Watermelon or Strawberry flavored toothpaste, not minty at all. I know Target carries it, WalMart probably does too. Good luck!

Hi!

At least she's brushing -heh. My 9yo always complained of burning too. She'd even get red marks around her mouth where the mint burned her. We found a couple of "natural" brands that had other flavors. JASON and Tom's of Maine. They have weird flavors like orange-chamomile or apricot (of all things..YUK) and a few others. Our girls like both of them and they don't burn. They have options with and without flouride.

(please excuse as I get my soap box out here) Avoiding fluoride is not a very popular thing to do, because dentists push flouride so strongly and even pediatricians, with the flouridated water, but flouride is actually a drug that can be used to make people more compliant. Heaven knows with kids, compliance is a wonderful thing, but flouride is still a drug. We use one tube with and then alternate to one tube without to give our bodies a break -just in case. Both of our girls have been cavity free, and I mean NONE. Also, did you know that the public water system is flouridated?

I would try a natural toothpaste. She's obviously sensitive to some of the chemicals in the regular toothpaste.

A.
http://www.audreysallnaturalshoppe.com

we LOVE Tom's of Maine silly strawberry. tastes like strawberry yogurt and comes in flouride or flouride free, depending on your preference. it aslo comes in orange mango, but we haven't tried that yet. sometimes akins has it, but i order mine at drugstore.com. all natural, low in sugar, no artificial sweeteners!

Try just the plain Arm and Hammer toothpaste. Im with her the other stuff is yucky and it burns

My 4yr old still uses the training toothpaste also. I have heard that if the swallow a lot of the flouride tooth paste it will damage their permanate teeth. I just recommend that you teach her to spit and rinse before she uses the floride toothpaste that is what we are working on also.. My son is just about got it and we are just about to switch over but if you look on the box of the toothpaste for older kids it says for 6 yrs and older but I think we know when our children are ready. Goodluck!! M.

There are all kind of kids toothpastes that are bubble gum or fruit flavored, not minty at all. They are located under the toothbrush display at wal-mart.

we use a great toothpaste called weleda children's tooth gel. my son loves it and loves to brush his teeth and has since he was about 2 years old - he is now 4 1/2. it doesn't burn and you do not have to worry about your child swallowing it - it's ok!!! i buy it online or at whole foods. children's mouths are very sensitive - so please don't force yours to use a toothpaste that is burning - there are MANY options out there. good luck - i posted some info below about the weleda toothpaste
J.

Natural protection for children's baby teeth.
Developed in cooperation with dentists, Children's Tooth Gel is specially formulated to help maintain the health of baby teeth and keep the flora of the mouth in natural balance.
Biodynamic Calendula, a soothing herb, helps keep the gums and oral cavity in good condition.

Children love the bright color of the gel and the pleasant taste of the natural essential oils.

The gel has been carefully formulated to avoid substances that may be harmful if swallowed.

Ingredients: (INCI); Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Silica, Algin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Esculin, Limonene.

Free Of
Fluoride, detergents, synthetic fragrances, colors, preservatives raw materials derived from mineral oils and animals testing.

Have you tried baking soda? It's not minty and doesn't burn, but it is an acquired taste. If your water supply has fluoride (flurosis) in it, you should be fine using alternative methods of toothpaste.
My granddaughter (2 years old) uses a bubble gum flavor paste that she loves. It's in the toothpaste section at Wal-mart. I can't remember the name of it right now, though.

you had so many, I didn't have time to read them all. My 3 year old also said all the kid's toothpaste's burned (even the bubble gum flavored). The kind he likes and will use is Colgate Watermelon flavored. I've tried several, this is the only one he says doesn't burn. good luck!!

Hi - I just got back in town and saw your post. You might try a salt/baking powder solution -this is an old way but she probably won't like it at all and look upon toothpaste with more favor. I think there are some really different children's toothpastes out there - and Colgate I believe has one that has no particular flavor. Your dentist may have a good suggestion for you. At 3 they can be rather difficult in trying to establish themselves and this may be something of a power struggle. Good luck.

My children use aquafresh bubblemint. It is in a stand up tube. I does not burn.

I believe GLEEM offers a bubblegum flavored toothpaste for children and several other flavors, also they have sparkle toothpaste that may be attractive to her and fun to use.

The only kind my 3year old will use is Kids Aquafresh.

My 3 year old loves the Barbie bubble gum toothpaste. I think it is Crest, but you can't miss it since it has Barbie on it and is pink.

Hey Melanie,

My oldest doesn't like that stuff either. We are use something called: Koala Pals® Berrylicious Tooth Gel with Fluoride. Here is a link to see the product:

http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.productDetail&...

Let me know what you think.

What kind of toothpaste are you wanting her to use? Does it have a warning on it...along the lines of contacting the poison control center?

~V~

I let mine use the baby or toddler toothpaste till they are six or seven.My little boy is 9 and my little girl is 5 no problems just clean teeth.

Hi Melanie,
Crest puts out a vanilla flavored gel that's pretty mild, I think. My daughter is 22 and that's the only kind she likes to use because of the "burn" of the others! Some people are just more sensitive to it than others.
C.

This may come as a shock. My dentist told me, all we need to do is brush our teeth with a toothbrush. He said the toothpaste is just for taste and not to worry about which kind to use, just use what tastes good to you. I know that goes against everything we've always heard and I'm sure others have a different opinion but I've raised 3 children and as long as they go for their checkups once or twice a year and brush their teeth 2-3 times a day, they will be fine.We use toothpaste because it feels fresh. Her baby gel will work perfectly fine.

My oldest son also doesn't like "hot" toothpaste. He is 12 and still loves the Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry. Tom's also makes lots of different flavors. The Cinnamint is my favorite, but it is a little hot. Good luck!

My 3 year old doesn't like any minty toothpaste either. I know there is debate over flouride, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks. We use the kid's toothpaste from Melaleuca. It's got the right amount of flouride, and is fruity flavored and he doesn't complaint it's too hot.

My 5 year old recently started using the Aim kids toothpaste, it's bubble berry flavor. She was still using the Orajel toddler toothpaste for the same reason as your child, everything burned.

Get the Smart Rinse in Berry flavor. My daughter loves it. It doesn't burn at all and it's fun to see the "chunks" in the sink. LOL!

Just make certain she brushes them for at least a minute. She can get the flouride treatments at the dentist.

Our pediatric dentist told us to use the training toothpaste without flouride until the kids were old enough to learn how to spit it out as we brush. The flouride toothpastes can leave marks on their permanent teeth. So we were told. Good luck and God Bless.

I had the same problem with my three year old. We found that Orajel Toddler Training toothpaste does a great job of cleaning and has absolutely no burn. Furthermore, it's safe to swallow. Her dentist had no problems with her using it . . . he says it's doing the trick.

You could try Tom's of Maine's orange toothpaste. There are some strawberry kinds, and other flavors, too, of various brands. I like Tom's because they use safe ingredients.

The actually important part of toothbrushing is the brushing. The paste is just bonus, so the training gel is at the very least perfectly adequate. She could brush without any kind of toothpaste or gel at all, and her teeth would still be perfectly fine (assuming that you are there to make sure that she is thorough, and assuming that she's not eating sugary foods or drinking a lot of full-strength fruit juices during the day and especially not at night!). There's fluoride in the water or in her supplements if prescribed by her pediatrician, so no worries there.

Short answer, though: try Tom's of Maine orange flavor. It's not minty at all. I think they do have a kids' strawberry, too. You can find them right at Wal-Mart - should be with the other toothpastes.

L.

Crest Kids Health. It is blue and sparkly with fluoride for kids but it is not "hot" as mine calls it. My 3 year old loves it, but not the "real stuff".

If she won't use a floride toothpaste, just make sure that your water source is floridated. Most public water sources have floride, but if you have a well, you should make her use floride toothpaste or buy floridated water (Called Nursery Water).

Have you tried that orange gel stuff in the adult toothpaste section? It's not for kids, but I'm sure if you only use a tiny bit and she spits it out then it should be safe. That orange stuff got me through 2 pregnancies because even a hint of mint caused me to throw up. You might give it a shot.

Oral B stages makes a mild bubble gum flavor that my son likes. I would suggest allowing her to use the training toothpaste but put just a small amount of the other kind on the brush first then cover it with the training gel just to mask the flavor. Gradually increase the amount until she's comfortable using it. If I understand correctly, the main difference between the training toothpaste and other pastes is the flouride. Training pastes don't have flouride b/c small children swallow so much, and flouride can be toxic if too much is ingested, so, that being said, you could also supplement with a flouride rinse until she is comfortable using the "real" stuff! Good luck-by the way, my son is 8 and he cannot even stand the smell of the minty adult pastes, says they burn his nose, but he loves the Crest Whitening Expressions Orange Burst-go figure. You might give that one a shot too.

Hello, first of all, have you taught her to spit the baby gel out? That is very important before you move on as you don't want her swallowing the flouride. Also, there are lots of pastes out there with sesame street, charachters, dora, barbie etc.. That taste like fruit and bubble gum. My son always loved them, but i did make sure that he was a professional at spitting and rinsing before we moved on to those. Also, you might try some of those kid mouthwashes. They are great protection. Once again, my son loves them, but i know other mothers who say their kids don't like them. The kids listerine, the orange one, taste kindof fruity and does not burn at all and if anything has been left on the teeth it will show up in the sink when they spit it out. My son, who is a bit older, just loves it when when something shows up when i've done the brushing!! So, he can point out that i didn't get it all. He's almost five now, so i let him do the brushing in the morning, but i still do it myself at night. He has also been using floss, not expertly of course, for a couple of years, he just likes to do what i am doing. Anyway, just some ideas, best of luck to you.
Have a fabulous day and god bless!!

Melanie-there is a message on most toothpaste tubes that state children under 6 should not use regular toothpaste unless directed by a dentist. My 5 year old daughter doesn't like most of the kids toothpaste either but she does like the Colgate Kids Watermelon. It's a bit pricey compared to the others but it's the only one she'll use. I do remember talking with the dental assistant once when my daughter was 4 about her not using toothpaste and she said water was fine and that the brushing is the most important. I would think that for now the baby training tooth gel would be better than nothing if she doesn't like the others. I think better to use something and get her used to brushing then fighting to get her to use something she doesn't like (been there, done that!) But, honestly I would check with your dentist to be sure. Good Luck!

There are lots of toothpastes out there that are in between the baby training toothpaste and adult toothpaste. My son has the ORAL B STAGES toothpaste with Lightening McQueen of course. He's 4yo. He still likes the training one but I mix it up every once in a while and he's fine. It isn't minty or tingly but it is anti cavity and contains flouride. It's more of a berry flavor or candy flavor. I have seen several different kinds in the supermarket...the same place where the training toothpaste usually is.

I have to watch him carefully when I use it to make sure he doesnt swallow it. What everyone said is true...flouride is not something you want them to swallow especially every night. My Pediatrician said the first dental appt should be at around 4yo and as long as he's brushing his teeth regularly he should be fine. Good Luck!

My son was the same way. I found one he likes, and he said it didn't burn. It is kids colgate strawberry.It has fluoride in it that they need, but make sure you only use a little and she spits it out. You don't want her to get to much fluoride. I worked for a childs dentist for years and that is what he would tell the parents. My son is almost 10 now and he still uses it.Hope it works.

If she likes certain disney charaters try Dora toothpase by colgate that is bubble gum falvored MY girls love it Oral B also ahs disney princess bubble gum tooth paste.

I asked the dentist this same question, and he said to continue using the training toothpaste until he was 4. Said as long as you are using a brush and some sort of cleanser, you are doing his/her teeth some good, and the main difference between the training toothpaste and other toothpaste is the fluoride, which if a little one gets too much of (from not spitting it all out) could be harmful.

Hi, I have a three year old girl who used to fight me brushing her teeth also. We switched to an Oral B Stages childrens Disney Princess bubblegum flavored toothpaste. The Princesses on the bottle get her into brushing her teeth along with the barbie toothbrush since she is crazy about princesses and the toothpaste it apparently more mild that what we were using because she loves to brush now. I also started making a game of it by having her brush mine while I brush hers. Good Luck

Hey Melanie, I am a mother of 3: 4, 3, 20 months. My 4 year old just started using "real" toothpaste within the last 3 weeks. He did the same thing as your daughter; he only liked 1 kind of baby toothpaste. I bought a couple (2 or 3)of different brands thinking that would help to find what he likes. It took a while, but now he really likes the strawberry flavored toothpaste that colgate makes for kids. I guess it is kind of like trying new foods, you have to try it a few times before you find what you like. Hope this helps. L.

Colgate used to have a vanilla mint flavor. You might try something like that.

Hello, Melanie. I have a 3 year old son and he uses the Oral B childrens toothpase, and he also has used the Crest childrens toothpaste and he said it burns. He also takes a multi-vitamin with Flouride every night after he brushes his teeth that our dentist recommended...it's prescription. Have you taken your daughter to the dentist yet? She is about the right age now, even if they don't do a whole lot, you can still ask them questions and find out if the baby tooth gel is still good enough to use right now. But, I can almost bet they'll recommend a vitamin with Flouride.

My 3 year old did not like the Crest sparkle that my older two children use. She received a tavel size toothpaste from our health office called OraLine kids. It is bubble gum flavored and she loves it. It is sugar-free. It does have fluoride in it, but she knows to spit (and really enjoys doing it:)), so it's not a big deal.

Many children are that way, especially our daughter. She LOVES the Crest Orange flavor. It is really mild with only a light orange flavor. Maybe give it a try.

Use the Orajel TODDLER training toothpaste. The tube has "Little Bear" or "Thomas the Train" on it. It's safe to swallow, but introduces them to the swish and spit thing. It is easy just like the baby stuff... but designed for toddlers.

Why not let her use the toothpaste, then get her a mouthwash meant for kids- with no alcohol for her to swish around her mouth just in case?

Son is the same way. Dentist said you just need to brush. It does not matter if toothpaste is used or not. HTH.

Hello mom! i had the same problem when my girl was coming up, do use the flavor toothpaste right now. the paste adults use will burn, my girl said it did her. she can use flouride rinse as well. around 5 is when i would lightly dab the brush with adult paste. and it got better. she is now 7. they start to really get the "breath" around 5. and do reg. ck. up at the dentist. change the brush after a cold, also have her to brush around 3 times a day. and esp., at night. hope this help take care...

The old-fashioned remedy: Mix baking soda with a pinch of salt and add water to make a tiny paste in your hand. Dip the brush in the paste and brush as usual.

Another suggestion: Try Shaklee's toothpaste. It is all natural and has NO warning on it for children like most store-bought paste. You can order online, or find a distributor on your street or in your neighborhood. Great website for health information.

Most regular toothpastes are very harsh, especially for young mouths. And ironically, most also contain some form of sugar. Go for pastes that are designed for sensitivity. She might also be more sensitive to mint and cinnamon than most, or have a low-grade yeast infection that increases the sensations. Her regular dentist will also have some suggestions or products for you to try. The key at her age is the act of brushing, not necessarily what she's using. My dentist has a lot of opinions on how bad most otc toothpastes are. Hope this helps :}

The baby toothpaste is perfectly fine for your 3 year old.
The main thing is to brush away the food.
Tooth paste isn't even that critical.
Some children simply use a toothbrush with water.

Health food stores carry children's toothpaste in flavors like strawberry.

We use a brand called Xclear. It's made from Xylitol instead of sugar or sugar substitutes which can be harmful to health.
Xylitol is excellent for your teeth and naturally sweet.

Beware of using toothpaste with fluoride for children this age.
Most kids like to swallow the toothpaste and fluoride is VERY TOXIC and dangerous. Just read the warning label on the back of your own fluoride toothpaste.

Check out dr. Mercola's website www.mercola.com for a medical perspective that will back up what I am saying.

I found XCLEAR toothpaste, for our son, on-line.
Can't remember where. If you put XCLEAR in google, options will come up.

I've given this as a gift to my nephews (who formerly hated to brush their teeth) and they all love it and now like to brush their teeth.

Hope this helps!

I would suggest that you contact a pediatric dentist for suggestions.

working as a dental assistant for many years i know that any toothpaste with floride shouldnt be used unless he can spit it all out...floride is good but swolling it is not.. try little bear tooth paste and you wont worry if he is swolling it..it tasted good and safe. too much floride can cause permanent white spots in their permanent teeth

My 3 year old is the same way. I found he likes crest for kids bubble flavor. Smells like bubble gum, and has a picture of Big Bird and Elmo on it.

I've always been told that the main thing a child needs at that age is just a good toothbrush, just to ensure that the plaque is coming off by the scrubbing. My daughters are 4 & 5 and they recently started using the Colgate Sensitive toothpaste. It is the first one they've ever used and we have always just brushed with warm water and a toothbrush. Don't think I'm crazy, but that is what I've always been told. Thanks and Good Luck