This 'Hack' Will Tell You Exactly How Much Toothpaste Your Child Needs

When it comes to toothpaste, do you also think that putting more is better than little? Well, it turns out, your kid’s toothbrush can help prevent you from putting too much toothpaste.

The colored bristles on a kid’s toothbrush are actually “toothpaste indicators,” as Holly Benn, a mom of two realized. Surprised? So are we.

Holly, who is also a franchisee of Little Learners, a UK-based company that holds play classes for young children, posted a photo of her kids’ toothbrushes on her playschool’s Facebook page with the startling discovery.

“Tell me I am NOT the only one who didn’t know that the colored bristles on children’s toothbrushes are ‘toothpaste indicators’ that tell you where to put it and how much toothpaste to use?!” she wrote in the caption.

In an interview with Babble, the mom says she realized what the bristles was for when she was opening a new pack of toothbrush (specifically the brand Wisdom Toothbrushes) for her daughter. “I spotted a picture of it on the back,” she said. “My little girl hates having her teeth brushed so I was just thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be handy to have tips for brushing your kid’s teeth on the back’ when I spotted the diagram and toothbrush indicators.”

The actual pack she has states: ‘Toothpaste indicator shows how much toothpaste to use,’ reports Metro.

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And it seems many parents are also not aware of this little-known fact, as the post has been shared more than 4,800 times and has received almost 2,000 comments from astonished parents.

Funny enough, Holly says putting the right amount of toothpaste actually made it easier to brush her daughter’s teeth. “Perhaps she just hated the taste because I was putting a bit too much on!” she tells Babble.

If your toothbrush doesn’t have colored bristles, or if the pack does not state that it is a ‘toothbrush indicator’, Dr. Nina Tayag-Atotubo, a member of the Philippine Pediatric Dental Society Inc., suggests this instead: only put a pea-sized amount for kids 3 to 6 years old. A “ribbon” of toothpaste can be used for children above 6 years.

Choosing the right kind of toothpaste is also important: parents should use fluoride toothpaste instead of the usual ‘kiddie toothpastes.’ “Look for a toothpaste that has at least 1,000 ppm fluoride. Most kiddie toothpaste brands have less than this amount, making them less effective compared to anti-caries toothpaste brands,” she adds. “Non-fluoride toothpaste is not recommended.” 

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