Careful dental hygiene is important at any age, but many children have little enthusiasm for brushing their teeth every day. In these cases, parents often try to increase motivation for brushing by buying an electric toothbrush. A colorful model with funny figures, which perhaps even lights up and makes music, makes brushing teeth fun. Previously boring oral hygiene is suddenly exciting and interesting, but is it really advisable for even children to use electric toothbrushes?
Start with a manual toothbrush...
In principle, there is nothing to stop you giving your offspring an electric toothbrush, especially since most manufacturers now offer special models for children. However, the German Dental Association recommends that children learn to brush their teeth with a conventional manual toothbrush. On the one hand, this is about getting a better feel for one's own mouth with easy and hard-to-reach areas. On the other hand, children should not be taught from the beginning that the toothbrush does the brushing on its own. Instead, children should learn to actively care for their teeth with the right brushing technique.
...switch to an electric toothbrush from the age of 5 onwards
Most manufacturers offer electric toothbrushes from the age of three, but many dentists are more cautious in this regard. They believe that electric toothbrushes should only be used from preschool age, i.e. from the age of five. The reason given is that milk teeth are not fully formed until the age of four. In addition, electric toothbrushes are too heavy for children under five to hold safely. In addition, younger children would lack the motor skills to consistently use the correct brushing technique with an electric toothbrush.
If the child is old enough and has the necessary motor skills, brushing with an electric toothbrush offers advantages:
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