Spry Tooth Gel for Reluctant Brushers

I’ve been super-lucky in the dental department with both of my kiddos. While they have gone through spells where they’d fight getting their teeth brushed, for the most part they’ve both been very cooperative with the process. I think it helps to start them out early and to make it fun for them — Thomas the Train toothpaste and character toothbrushes have always seemed to help. My 2-year-old likes to brush his teeth so much these days that I catch him in the bathroom grabbing the nearest toothbrush (and it isn’t always his!).

As I mentioned, I started out the dental care early with my kids, brushing consistently — or at least getting a toothbrush near their face — as soon as their little teeth started to pop through. Young kids don’t know how to spit out the toothpaste, so products that are safe to swallow are key in those early days. I recently had my kids test out Kids Spry Tooth Gel, a sugar-free, fluoride-free gel that’s safe to swallow. It’s sweetened with 100 percent xylitol, which Spry says can promote good oral care and reduce the risk of tooth decay. Babies as young as 3 months old can use it, all the way up to toddlers and children who have trouble brushing their teeth. We used it as a toothpaste substitute, but parents can simply apply the gel to teeth and gums, which would work well on younger babies and really reluctant brushers.

My kids may not be “reluctant brushers” but this tooth gel increased their interest in brushing their teeth by a lot. My son would get a dab on his brush and instantly request more, and my daughter kept requesting the “giraffe toothpaste.” I think they thought it was fun to switch up their flavors — they tried Original and Strawberry-Banana — and, of course, the giraffe on the tube was a major hit. You can find the tooth gel at Whole Foods and Vitamin Shoppe, as well as online for $5.49.

Do you have reluctant brushers or do your kids love the brushing process? What’s worked for you to make it fun? —Erin