Is my child old enough for an electric toothbrush, and which one should I buy? Our answer as dentists: from about age three, with an adult supervising and a brush made for their age. Babies and toddlers need a small, soft manual brush that you hold, and older children and teenagers ready for a full-size brush can move straight to the adult brush our dentists chose, the Oral-B iO9. Below: what to look for at each age, the hydroxyapatite toothpaste many parents ask us about, and a fair comparison of the two Oral-B kids' brushes coming soon to Onyx.
The short version
- Under 3: a small, soft manual toothbrush, with you doing the brushing.
- Ages 3 to 5: a kids' electric brush with a small round head, extra-soft bristles and a two-minute timer, such as the Oral-B Pro Kids, coming soon to Onyx.
- From 6: the Oral-B iO Kids adds a third mode, a music timer and automatic slowing when pressed too hard. Also coming soon.
- Ages 8 to 12: the iO Kids still suits most; for an 11- or 12-year-old ready for a full-size brush, ask your dentist about the iO9.
- Older children and teenagers: once they are ready for a full-size brush, the Oral-B iO9 Black Onyx, in stock now at £164.99.
What age can a child use an electric toothbrush?
The Oral Health Foundation recommends power brushes with oscillating-rotating heads, like Oral-B's, from age three, with supervised brushing up to seven, saying they can make brushing more fun and help children brush for long enough. Oral-B's UK product pages say use under age three is not recommended.
The NHS sets no age for electric brushes. The Oral Health Foundation's electric toothbrush guide adds that electric brushes can slightly reduce plaque and gum inflammation compared with manual ones.
What to look for at each age
Babies and toddlers (under 3)
The NHS advises starting as soon as the first milk tooth comes through, usually around six months, with a parent or carer brushing, using a small, soft toothbrush that is right for the child's age. We would skip a “baby electric toothbrush”: at this age the job is an adult cleaning every tooth and along the gums twice a day, and a manual brush does that well.
Ages 3 to 5
Look for a small round head sized for small mouths, soft or extra-soft bristles, a gentle mode and a two-minute timer, since the NHS advises brushing for about two minutes. Your child can hold the brush while you supervise, as the NHS suggests for three- to six-year-olds.
Ages 6 and over
From around six, the first adult molars come through at the back of the mouth and baby teeth start to fall out, as the Oral Health Foundation describes. Pressure feedback helps now: the Foundation notes that brushing too hard can damage teeth and gums, and a brush that slows when pressed too hard shows a child when to ease off. Apps and games help keep a child going for the full two minutes.
Ages 8 to 12
This is the age parents ask us about most: a ten-year-old who has outgrown cartoon handles but is not yet a teenager. Oral-B makes the iO Kids for six and over, and it suits most children in this band: a small round head, extra-soft bristles, a music timer and a motor that slows when they press too hard. It is coming soon to Onyx.
Oral-B positions its adult iO range from 13. For an 11- or 12-year-old with most of their adult teeth who wants a grown-up brush, ask your dentist at the next check-up. If they are happy, we would choose the iO9 on its Sensitive mode: the pressure ring and the two-minute timer do the supervising you can no longer do from the doorway, and it will see them through their teens. Our guide to every Oral-B model explains why we would skip the cheaper adult brushes.
Older children and teenagers: the iO9
Oral-B positions its adult iO range for teenagers from 13, and once your child is ready for a full-size brush, we would go straight to the iO9 Black Onyx. These are the years when brushing moves out of your sight, so a brush that gives its own feedback earns its keep: the ring of light shows when they press too hard, the colour display counts the two minutes, and the optional Oral-B app shows the areas they keep missing. It is the same brush our dentists chose for adults, at £164.99 against Oral-B's £500 list price, and our iO9 review explains why. It takes our genuine iO replacement heads, £20 for a year's four.
Battery or rechargeable?
Both Oral-B kids' models below are rechargeable, and Oral-B says most of its handles take 12 to 18 hours to charge fully and last at least a week. Keep charging and cleaning the handle an adult job, as Oral-B's safety notes advise.
Toothpaste: the hydroxyapatite choice
NHS guidance for children is a fluoride toothpaste at a strength set by age. Many parents ask us for a fluoride-free alternative, and the one we stock is Biorepair Plus Total Protection, £6.99. Its active ingredient is microRepair®, Biorepair's zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite, at 20%. Hydroxyapatite is the mineral tooth enamel is mostly made of, so the toothpaste supplies the same mineral your child's teeth are built from.
Biorepair states that, with no fluoride in the tube, children under six can use its toothpaste without adult supervision; the supervision printed on standard toothpaste packs is there to limit how much a young child swallows. You will still want to supervise the brushing itself until about seven, but that is about technique, not toothpaste.
The research in children is encouraging. In a one-year randomised trial in 207 young children, a hydroxyapatite toothpaste proved no worse than a fluoride toothpaste at preventing new early decay; that trial used a different brand's formula. Our hydroxyapatite guide has the full picture, and both Biorepair toothpastes are in our toothpaste collection.
How to supervise brushing
- Stand or sit behind your child and gently cradle their chin so you can see every tooth (Oral Health Foundation).
- Put the toothpaste on yourself: a smear for under-threes, a pea-sized amount from three (NHS).
- Guide the brush slowly from tooth to tooth and let it do the work, without scrubbing. Include the gumline and the backs of the teeth.
- Use the timer for about two minutes. The NHS suggests guiding your child's hand and using a mirror so they can see where the brush is cleaning.
- Brush at the sink: the NHS warns against children running around with a toothbrush in their mouth.
- Supervise until at least age seven (Oral Health Foundation); after that, the NHS suggests still checking that they brush properly.
Replace the head every three months, and keep up dental visits: the NHS advises a first visit when milk teeth appear or before age one, and NHS dental care for children is free.
Oral-B iO Kids vs Oral-B Pro Kids
The details below come from Oral-B UK's pages for the iO Kids Stitch, iO Kids Spider-Man, iO Kids heads and Pro Kids Spider-Man, checked on 29 September 2026.
| Feature | Oral-B iO Kids | Oral-B Pro Kids |
|---|---|---|
| Age (Oral-B) | 6 and over | 3 and over |
| Editions coming to Onyx | Disney Stitch, Marvel Spider-Man | Marvel Spider-Man |
| Modes | Three: Daily Clean, Sensitive and Super Sensitive | Two: Daily Clean and Sensitive Plus |
| Brush head | Small, round iO Kids head; extra-soft bristles that fade from blue to white | Round Pro Kids head sized for small mouths; extra-soft bristles |
| Timer | Two-minute music timer | Two-minute timer |
| Pressure feedback | Slows down automatically if pressed too hard | Not on Oral-B's feature list |
| App | Free Disney Magic Timer app | Free Disney Magic Timer app |
| Power | Rechargeable, with a low-battery indicator | Rechargeable |
| In the box (Oral-B UK pack) | Handle, one brush head, charger, travel case | Handle, one brush head, charger, four stickers |
| Replacement heads | iO Kids heads | Pro Kids heads |
| At Onyx | Coming soon | Coming soon |
Choose the Pro Kids for a three- to five-year-old: its small round head and extra-soft bristles matter most at that age, and two modes keep it simple.
Choose the iO Kids from age six, especially for a child who brushes hard: it slows itself down when pressed too hard, and Oral-B's UK pack includes a travel case. iO Kids brushes take iO Kids heads and Pro Kids brushes take Pro Kids heads, so buy the matching refills.
Both are coming soon to Onyx and do not have a price yet. Their product pages will show when orders open: the iO Kids and the Pro Kids. In the meantime, see all our electric toothbrushes.
When we would hold off
We would not buy an electric brush for a child under three: Oral-B does not recommend its brushes at that age, and the NHS advises a parent or carer to do the brushing. No timer or app replaces an adult checking the back teeth and gumline, and toothache or a damaged tooth needs a dentist before a new brush. We would also skip novelty “whole-mouth” brushes; our gift guide explains why.
Frequently asked questions
What age can a child start using an electric toothbrush?
From about three, with an adult supervising, as the Oral Health Foundation recommends. Oral-B says its brushes are not recommended for children under three.
Is there an electric toothbrush for babies or toddlers?
Some are sold, but we would not buy one. For under-threes, the NHS advises a parent or carer to brush with a small, soft toothbrush and a smear of toothpaste. Move to a kids' electric brush such as the Pro Kids from three.
What is the best electric toothbrush for kids?
The one your child will use twice a day, sized for their age. For three- to five-year-olds we would choose the Oral-B Pro Kids for its small round head and extra-soft bristles; from six, the Oral-B iO Kids adds automatic slowing, a third mode and a music timer; and for older children and teenagers ready for a full-size brush, the Oral-B iO9.
What is the best electric toothbrush for a 10-year-old?
For most ten-year-olds, a children's brush made for six and over, such as the Oral-B iO Kids, with its small head, extra-soft bristles and automatic slowing when pressed too hard; it is coming soon to Onyx. For an 11- or 12-year-old ready for a full-size brush, and with your dentist's agreement, we would choose the iO9 on its Sensitive mode.
What electric toothbrush should a teenager use?
We would choose the Oral-B iO9 Black Onyx. Its pressure light, colour display and two-minute timer give a teenager feedback when you are no longer watching, and it is £164.99 at Onyx, in stock now.
Is there a hydroxyapatite toothpaste for children?
The one we stock is Biorepair Plus Total Protection, £6.99, with 20% microRepair® hydroxyapatite. Biorepair says even children under six can use it; the toothpaste section above explains why.
Is there a Spider-Man electric toothbrush?
Yes, two: the Oral-B Pro Kids Spider-Man for ages three and over, and the Oral-B iO Kids Spider-Man edition for six and over. Both are coming soon to Onyx.
Is the Disney Stitch electric toothbrush suitable for younger children?
The Stitch edition coming to Onyx is the Oral-B iO Kids, which Oral-B makes for ages six and over. For a three- to five-year-old, the Pro Kids is the better fit.
When can I buy the kids' brushes from Onyx?
Both are coming soon and do not have a price yet. The iO Kids and Pro Kids product pages will show availability when orders open.
Why buy for your family from Onyx
Everything we sell was chosen by practising dentists, from the iO9 for teenagers and adults to Biorepair Plus toothpaste, and the kids' brushes join them soon. Orders placed before 4pm are dispatched the same day, UK delivery is free on orders from £50, unopened items can come back within 30 days, and if you are not sure which brush suits your child, ask us and one of our dentists will reply. Buying for yourself as well? The £180 Complete Care Bundle puts the iO9, a year of heads and a Biorepair toothpaste in one order and saves £11.98.
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Sources
- NHS: children's teeth and how to keep your teeth clean, both last reviewed 30 June 2025.
- Oral Health Foundation: children's teeth (aged 3+), supported by an Oral-B educational grant, and its electric toothbrush guide.
- Oral-B UK, checked 29 September 2026: the kids' product pages linked above, the charging guide, replacement brush heads, the Disney Magic Timer app and the iO9 Black Onyx.
- Oral-B: electric toothbrushes for teens 13+.
- Biorepair: use by children under six and microRepair® concentrations, checked 30 September 2026.
- Paszynska and colleagues, Scientific Reports (2021): one-year trial in children.