It’s important to start good oral hygiene in infancy. Even before babies have teeth; it’s a good idea to start getting them used to oral care by stimulating their gums, which has the added bonus of helping with teething pain.
Here, we will show you 14 of the best baby toothbrush options plus give you some tips to you know what to look for when deciding which one will work best for you and your little one.
Top 14 Baby Toothbrushes Comparison
Brushing Baby’s Teeth (& Gums)
There are a few things to consider when choosing a toothbrush for your baby. You might be thinking, why do babies need toothbrushes if they don’t even have teeth yet? Well, gum health is just as important, and baby toothbrushes aren’t just mini versions of the adult kind.
In order to make sure you get the right kind of toothbrush for your baby, you need to know a little bit about what kind of oral hygiene your baby needs. This depends on how many teeth your baby has; however, you also need to consider your baby’s oral care before any teeth come through.
- Gum Care – Before your baby even begins to get teeth, you should be starting a routine of wiping his gums with a damp washcloth. You can do this when he’s in the tub, before bed, or first thing in the morning, but try to do it once a day; this will keep bacteria under control and get your baby used to oral care.
Once teeth start pushing through – typically around six months – you should start brushing baby’s teeth twice a day. At this stage, you will probably find that a silicone finger brush will be your best bet. It’s a small silicone sleeve that fits over your fingertip. Over the pad of your finger are small, soft silicone bristles while the rest is covered in ridges or bumps for gum stimulation and to help comfort sore gums.
Recommendations for toothpaste use change frequently, so check with your pediatrician to be sure. Generally, you can use any toothpaste in small amounts. Remember, at this age, babies can’t spit, so you don’t want to overwhelm them. Just a thin smear is enough.
- Teeth – Babies grow teeth at different times. Some might have eight or so by their first birthday while others might only have one or two. Around six months is generally a good time to switch from the silicone fingertip kind of brush. These will continue to be effective at this stage, but you might find that your baby is a little less cooperative and a little more willing to bite your finger.
Baby toothbrushes have large, chunky handles and come in all kinds of shapes and colors. They are typically made from a firm but flexible plastic, sometimes coated in silicone, and have nylon bristles.
The bristles are softer than adult ones because babies at this age still have sensitive gums. They will also continue to have teeth erupting, which will make them sorer. Although your baby might resist it, it’s important to try to brush gently and be as thorough as you can. Teeth pushing through the gum leaves room for infection, so it is important to do what you can.
- Extras – While not essential, there are some things that are nice to have with a baby toothbrush.
Some can double as a teether; this can help your baby get used to oral hygiene care plus alleviate the pain of teething. It’s important to note that you should only allow your baby to use a toothbrush as a teether is it’s specifically designed to be used as one. If it hasn’t, it could be a safety hazard.
If you get a silicone fingertip brush, a case is a great thing to have. It will help keep it clean and make it really easy to toss in the diaper bag and take with you anywhere.
Top 14 Best Baby Toothbrushes Reviewed
1. Baby Banana Toothbrush and Teether
- Teether – Yes
- Toddler Friendly – No
This teething toothbrush not only works to stimulate gums and promote oral hygiene, it can also be used as a teether to help soothe your 3 to 12-month-old while all those teeth are coming in.
It’s made of 100% silicone and designed for small hands to be able to grab. The brush portion can be used by parents to brush baby’s newly appearing teeth and to massage and stimulate the gums. You can also place it in the freezer and let the baby gnaw on it once frozen to help relieve tooth pain and help develop hand-eye coordination. You can even put it in the dishwasher to sterilize it to help keep your baby healthy.
It’s BPA, Latex, and toxin free and should last until your little one is ready to move up to a toddler toothbrush. This listing is for the banana shaped baby toothbrush, though there’s also a shark, an ear of corn, and pink and blue bananas to choose from.
2. Spry Xlear Banana Brush and Tooth Gel
- Teether – Yes
- Toddler Friendly – No
The Xlear Banana Brush and Tooth Gel Kit comes with a banana shaped silicone toothbrush and a tube of tooth gel. The brush itself is soft, bendable, and the bristles are perfect for brushing baby’s teeth as they erupt and stimulated gums. It’s 100% silicone and completely dishwasher safe; this makes a good teether, too.
This kit also comes with Spry Training Tooth Gel. It’s safe to swallow, made of all natural ingredients, and fluoride free. Use just a tiny bit on the brush to clean your baby’s teeth and gums before bedtime.
While the tooth gel itself is good for toddlers, the brush isn’t ideal. You can use it with toddlers, but because it’s so soft, it’s not the best way to move toddlers toward using a “real” toothbrush. This banana brush was made with babies in mind.
3. Dreambaby Silicone Baby Toothbrush
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – No
This is a very simple, no-frills baby toothbrush that fits on the tip of mom or dad’s finger and is then used to clean the infant’s teeth and gums. It’s soft, long lasting, and easy to clean. The small, soft bristles are perfect for baby’s sensitive gums and erupting teeth.
The recommended ages listed on the packaging is 0 – 18 months, but this toothbrush is best suited for younger infants. By the time a child is 18 months old, she might not be very cooperative with having someone’s finger in her mouth. Babies nearing toddlerhood like to bite and it’s probably not ideal to use this brush with babies once they start to bite.
For infants who are just cutting teeth, this toothbrush is perfect. You get a pack of two which should last your child from about 3 months to a year old.
4. Jordan Step 1 Baby Toothbrush
- Teether – Yes
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
This isn’t the first combination toothbrush/teether we’ve seen, but this one is unique because it has real bristles, not just little silicone nubs. The handle is circular and flat and acts as a teether.
This baby toothbrush is also unique because it has a wide age range, birth to 2 years. It’s because of the soft bristles that it can be used for toddlers, but the small head and teether make it suitable for infants.
The Jordan Step 1 Baby Toothbrush can be purchased individually and in packs of four. They’re made of brightly colored plastic, and the wide handle is perfect for little hands.
A downside to this is that you really shouldn’t leave a baby unattended with it, so the teether has limited use. Once babies really start to gnaw, there’s nothing to stop them from chewing on the bristles and pulling them out.
5. Mom Miya Baby Corn Or Banana Bendable
- Teether – Yes
- Toddler Friendly – No
The Baby Corn Bendable Training Toothbrush from Mom Miya is a combination toothbrush/teether. It looks like an adorable ear of corn being shucked. On the end are the silicone bristles, which you can use to clean the baby’s new teeth or to stimulate the gums.
This toothbrush is an ideal shape for little ones’ hands and is extremely soft and flexible, so it does make for a good teether. It comes with a beaded chain which attaches to the baby’s collar and the ear of corn so that the baby doesn’t lose it.
The chain has snap closures that are easy enough to remove, but the beads are small and can cause a choking hazard if it breaks. Make sure to keep a close eye on your kiddo when letting them use this as a teether.
6. green sprouts Silicone Baby Toothbrush
Teether – No
Toddler Friendly – Yes
The Green Sprouts Silicone Baby Toothbrush is a combination of a regular toothbrush and the silicone fingertip ones that parents can use to brush their baby’s teeth. It looks like a standard toothbrush but has a long, silicone handle. Instead of traditional nylon bristles, it has the small silicone ones that are perfect for baby’s teeth and gums.
Its shape makes it a little easier to get to all the areas of your baby’s mouth than it is with some of the fingertip brushes. While it’s soft enough to be a teether, it’s not really safe because the long handle can make it a choking hazard.
This is a safe, soft, and easy to clean toothbrush. It would be great on its own but might be a good one to use to transition for a fingertip brush to a regular toddler brush.
7. Baby Buddy Baby’s 1st Toothbrush Teether
- Teether – Yes
- Toddler Friendly – No
This is a combination teether/toothbrush that works a little differently than some of the others on our list. Most have a part designated as a teether and bristles that you can brush baby’s teeth with. With the Baby Buddy Baby’s First Toothbrush, those two parts are one in the same.
Here’s how it works. The soft silicone brush is shaped like an H with all sides covered with small bristles. As the baby chews, the bristles clean top and bottom teeth simultaneously, on every surface. The handle allows little ones to move the brush around to different parts in their mouths.
You can put it in the freezer to help alleviate teething pain, plus, it’s dishwasher safe so you can keep it clean and germ-free. This best baby toothbrush is one of a series designed by Baby Buddy to follow baby’s oral care from newborn through all stages of childhood.
8. MAM Learn to Brush Set
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
This is a set of two brushes designed to help babies enjoy brushing their teeth and to help them transition from needed help to doing it independently.
This set includes two brushes; a short handled one and a long handled one. The heads themselves are identical – small and covered in nylon bristles. The long handled brush makes it easy for parents to get in there and brush the little one’s teeth. Both brushes have an ergonomic handle, and the bottom end is covered with nubs to use for gum stimulation.
This MAM Learn to Brush Set also comes with a guard to place by the head of the toothbrush to help prevent your little one from sticking the whole thing too far into her mouth. It’s available in four colors: blue, purple, pink, and green.
9. Brush-Baby BabySonic Electric Toothbrush
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
This is taking a regular old baby toothbrush and kicking it up a notch. The Brush-Baby BabySonic Electric Toothbrush is the only electric toothbrush we reviewed. It’s a small battery powered toothbrush that has a milder vibration than adult versions. The brush heads are changeable and come in two sizes: 0 – 18 months and 18 – 36 months.
The body of the toothbrush it short and chunky, perfect for little hands but adults will be comfortable using it to brush their little ones’ teeth before they can do it on their own. It can also stand on its own, which make it really hygienic because you don’t have to worry about the bristles touching anything they’re not supposed to.
A cool thing about this toothbrush is it has a timer. The brush vibrates for a total of 2 minutes (the total recommended brushing time) plus it pulses every 30 seconds so your little one can learn to switch from top to bottom and side to side appropriately.
10. Baby Buddy 360 Toothbrush Step 1
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
The 360 Toothbrush from Baby Buddy is one of the more unique ones that we reviewed. It’s completely different from any other one on this list. It’s meant for babies four months and older and can carry them through the toddler years.
What makes it so special is the 360-degree brush head that gets rid of nearly two times as much plaque as conventional toothbrushes. It reaches every surface of the tooth, including the places that are normally difficult to get to. It’s even designed with just enough room between the bristles to speed up drying and resist bacterial growth.
This design is so effective, you don’t even need to use toothpaste, which is is one reason why it’s so good for infants. You’re not supposed to use toothpaste for the first year or so and you can rest assured that you’re getting a good clean with this brush without it.
11. Dr. Brown’s Infant-to-Toddler Toothbrush
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
This toothbrush is shaped like a little elephant. The bristles are on what would be the end of the elephant’s trunk while the ears act as a handle and a guide so your little one learns how far in the toothbrush should go.
It’s the perfect size for you to use to clean your baby’s teeth but that he will easily be able to grab onto himself when he’s ready. The body is flexible to keep an ideal amount of pressure on baby’s gums and teeth. Light enough to help keep him comfortable even when teething but firm enough to clean effectively.
The bristles are a little harder than some of the other baby toothbrushes, but as long as your baby doesn’t have sensitive gums, this should still be a winner.
12. Nuby 2-Pack Oral Massager and Toothbrush
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – No
This Nuby Oral Massager and Toothbrush is made of clear silicone and easily slips over your finger tip so you can use it to clean your baby’s teeth and stimulate the gums. While your baby can certainly gnaw on it while you have it in her mouth, this one is not meant to be a teether, and you should never let your baby play with it unsupervised.
The interesting thing about this toothbrush is there are three distinct surfaces that sit along the surface: bristles for cleaning plus ridges and a row of dots for comfort.
You can purchase this as a two pack that comes with a clear plastic case. A case is great because it keeps the toothbrush clean and makes it really easy to just throw in your diaper bag and take with you, wherever your day is taking you and your little one.
13. Mom Miya Baby Finger Toothbrush
- Teether –No
- Toddler Friendly – No
The Moma Miya Baby Toothbrush with Case is similar to a few others that we’ve seen on this list, but that’s because the general design is genuinely ideal for baby toothbrushes.
This version is the familiar silicone brush that slides onto your fingertip so you can clean your baby’s teeth. There are small, soft bristles that sit on the pad of your finger and small raised dots along the back for the baby to bite on. Again, there’s no reason that a teething baby can’t chew on this for comfort when it’s on your finger. But it can’t really be called a teether because you shouldn’t let your baby handle it alone.
One thing different about this one that sets it apart from those like it is it comes in a pack of three and includes a plastic case for each one; this is really convenient for a busy mom. Throw one in the diaper bag, one in the nursery, and keep one in the bathroom. That way, you’ll always be ready to go.
14. Safety 1st 3 Piece Oral Care Kit
- Teether – No
- Toddler Friendly – Yes
This kit from Safety First has everything you need to move from infant to toddler. It comes with a silicone fingertip toothbrush and gum stimulator to use when your baby’s teeth are just starting to come in. It has bristles for cleaning and raised dots for gum stimulation. You get a case for it, too, which is perfect for keeping it clean and taking it with you.
You’ll also get a toothbrush with a chunky handle and small head, perfect for older babies to start the transition to a toddler toothbrush. The brush head can be a little bit firm for sensitive gums so it might be best to use it with older babies.
There’s nothing particularly special about this toothbrush set, but it’s simple, effective, and will cover your baby from infancy to toddlerhood. If you are undecided between a fingertip brush and a true baby toothbrush, this is a good choice that could help you make up your mind.
The Right Brush for the Right Care
If you’re looking for a toothbrush for your baby, you should find the information we went over in our buying guide helpful. Whether you’re looking for a silicone fingertip brush for your newborn’s gums or a soft bristle brush with a chunky handle for an older baby with a few teeth, our reviews cover a wide range of options that can help you choose. We hope we took some of the stress out of choosing the best baby toothbrush for your little one.
Leave a Reply