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How Do You Get Your Child To Brush His Teeth?

This post brought to you by Tom’s of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

My son is now a toddler, so we are navigating through very important milestones, such as attempts at potty training, sleeping in his own toddler bed, and of course, teaching him good dental habits such as brushing his teeth daily before going to bed.

My son likes to brush his teeth, but only if the toothpaste tastes good, so until now we’ve been buying him a toothpaste with his favorite character on the tube. I wasn’t happy about this because I’m very big on healthy and natural when possible, but we haven’t been able to find a natural toothpaste for children that also tasted good until we recently tried the Silly Strawberry toothpaste by Tom’s of Maine, which was a big hit. It’s a natural toothpaste (so I love it) that comes with a sealed opening, and unlike many natural toothpastes, this one comes with and without fluoride. I tried going fluoride-free once and was able to notice within weeks that my teeth became softer, so now I always make sure my family’s toothpastes contain fluoride. Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry toothpaste contains strawberry juice and other natural flavors for its sweet taste instead of saccharin or artificial sweeteners and flavors, and is the first and only natural kid’s toothpaste to receive the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance for its proven effectiveness.

toddler brushes teeth

My son doesn’t know that the toothpaste he is now using is all natural, but he absolutely loves it. I have to keep an eye on him and make sure he isn’t just eating it because it’s so tasty. Luckily, little man is going through a stage where he wants to do everything daddy does, so as long as my husband shows him that he brushes and spits, my son will want to copy (spitting is his favorite part).

Our new bedtime routine:

• Attempt to use the potty
• Brush teeth using Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry all natural toothpaste
• Snuggle into bed together and read a favorite book until he falls asleep- our current favorites? Loukoumi the Sheep books.

As long as we keep it all fun, he seems to enjoy learning and doing all these new things.

***Tom’s of Maine invites you to tune in for a live reading of a new children’s book, “t’s A Big World, Little Pig”, by Kristi Yamaguchi on Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Remember Kristi, our Olympic figure skating champ from about 20 years ago? I was such a fan of hers, so this is really neat. Viewers can ask Kristi questions live or on Facebook prior to the chat via the Live Chat tab, and participants will have the chance to receive a free Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry sample and a copy of Kristi’s new book.

If you can’t make it but would still like a sample, readers can register for a free sample of Silly Strawberry toothpaste while supplies last (about 1,300 are being given away). Want to learn more or connect with Tom’s of Maine? You can find them on Twitter @TomsofMaine or like them on Facebook.com/TomsofMaine.




  • I haven’t tried Tom’s toothpaste, but I love their deodorant! I just signed up for our sample so thanks so much

  • My children are a bit older, so they are already set in a routine. It does help that their toothbrushes and toothpaste have their favorite characters 😉

  • I am picking this up! I adore Tom’s and have been using it for a while now. Great review!

  • That’s the cutest picture. We love Tom’s of Maine and it’s nice to see a product geared to kids.

  • He is just so precious brushing his teeth there! It really is a great toothpaste, and they did a remarkable job making it mild enough for children.

  • My kids love the Toms Silly Strawberry. My 4 year old will not use anything else. Toms does not burn her sensitive mouth.

  • We love Tom’s of Maine and I love that it is natural! Your little guy is sooo adorable!!

  • We do bath, brush teeth, potty, story time, bed. Would love to try out Tom’s.

  • My son didn’t used to like it – but then one day by accident I did the batman theme song and he has been hooked to brushing his teeth that way ever since!

  • Megan

    We love Tom’s too!

  • AT first I practically had to sit on mine to make them brush. But then I bought them fun character brushes, and toothpaste and a reward chart. It is working!

  • Donna

    My sister-in-law only uses Tom’s for her kids, but I’ve yet to try it. I do love the idea of all-natural! My son is in a routine now, but I will admit it’s still a bit of a hassle. I wonder if it’s a boy thing?

  • Theresa

    Your son is adorable Penelope!

  • My daughter isn’t big on brushing her teeth. I’ll send her in to do it, and when she comes out, I have to inspect.

  • I’ve never used Tom’s. I should look into it because my daughter despises the training toothpaste we’ve been having her use.