5 tips to choose the best toothpaste in Canada for your kid

The best way to ensure your child has great oral health their whole life is to start the habit early. Once they create the routine of brushing and flossing every morning after breakfast and before bed, they are much more likely to continue to do it into their adulthood. 

To make sure that habit maintains your child’s teeth from childhood to adulthood, you need to gather the right equipment.

To help you do that, we’ll give you 5 quick tips that will allow you to easily choose an effective, protective toothpaste that will start your child’s dental healthcare off right.

Make sure it has the CDA or ADA Seal

CDA stands for the Canadian Dental Association, while ADA stands for the American Dental Association. 

Ensuring the toothpaste you buy is approved by these associations is the first step to finding a toothpaste that will guard your child’s teeth. So, before you buy the product, make sure you inspect the box (or tube) to ensure it has the seal.

Avoid harsh toothpastes

There are just about a million types of toothpastes out there today. They claim to whiten. They claim to freshen your breath. They claim to do just about everything except wash the dishes. 

Some of those claims are true, but they often require harsh or abrasive ingredients to do so. So, try to avoid those specialty, adult toothpastes (especially whitening toothpastes).

Check the ingredients list for fluoride

Fluoride is one of the few ingredients that is scientifically proven to protect your teeth. So, it’s a must have. However, because it can be detrimental to your child’s health if too much is swallowed, make sure to watch your child and ensure they spit out the toothpaste. If your child is too young, or has a habit of swallowing toothpaste, either use a smaller amount or temporarily use a non-fluoridated toothpaste.

Find the right flavour

Many toothpastes can be very flavourful, even to the point of young kids considering them ‘spicy.’ While this may not seem like such a big deal to you, buying a flavour of toothpaste that your child likes, or at least doesn’t hate, makes it much easier for your child to enjoy the habit of cleaning his or her teeth.