Product Review: Philips Sonicare for Kids

Brushing your toddler’s teeth can be tricky. Getting them to sit still without trying to grab the toothbrush from you can be frustrating. My husband and I struggled to get our three-year old to brush his teeth. We used gauze on our fingertips and a child-sized toothbrush. We even tried brushing our teeth together as a family, and letting him hold his own toothbrush. Nothing worked!

When asked to do a review of the new Connected Philips Sonicare for Kids, I was really hoping this was the change we were looking for. Why does a three-year-old need an electric toothbrush, you ask?  As a parent, who is concerned about my children developing good dental hygiene early, I was happy to try it out.

Having had my share of teeth problems, I wanted to save my son from years of dental work. The Connected Philips Sonicare for Kids is a rechargeable power toothbrush, designed with Bluetooth technology to give children a fun brushing-experience. The brush connects to the Sonicare for Kids App, which features a cute purple character named Sparkly, whose “sole job” is to help kids establish good brushing habits.

Once you have downloaded the app to your phone or tablet, the app automatically connects with the Sonicare toothbrush (you must be in the same room as the toothbrush for it to connect). As soon as you push the ON button on your toothbrush, Sparkly opens his mouth wide for brushing to begin. The app shows Sparkly’s mouth depicting your child’s teeth as the toothbrush moves along the inside of your child’s mouth. Little animated germs bugs appear encouraging your child to clean that area to remove the bugs.

What I liked most about the new electric toothbrush is the bell ringing (KidPacer). Your child’s mouth is divided into four quadrants. Starting with the upper teeth on the right-hand side. When the bell sounds it is time to move to the bottom teeth on the right-hand side. It is then time to move to the left-hand side and clean the upper teeth, followed by the lower teeth.

Thanks to the handy KidTimer feature, the app also records the length of each brushing (two minutes is recommended). This solves the problem of your child not brushing for an adequate amount of time. The app also records the number of times your child brushes his or her teeth, and send out a reminder to your device if your child forgets to brush.

For children who like to see scores, the app allows your child to unlock achievement goals while developing regular brushing habits.

Here are some other cool features of the Connected Philips Sonicare for Kids: 
• Comes with two brush head sizes that are specifically designed to gently clean and protect teeth as they grow
• Two kid-friendly power modes, a low mode for younger children and high mode for older kids
• Fun interchangeable stickers for personalizing their own toothbrush
• Anti-roll design to allow children to apply toothpaste on their own

Connected Philips Sonicare for Kids is recommended for children age three and over. It provides parents with added peace-of-mind about the frequency and quality of each brushing. This is a great device for helping your child developing long-term teeth brushing habits.

Retails for $59.99 and replacement heads retail for $21.99 for a package of two. Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Loblaws, Amazon.ca and London Drugs.

Thanks to Philips Sonicare your child can win the Connected Philips Sonicare for Kids Toothbrush!  Share your toothbrushing story with us and be entered to win. Complete our online contest form at www.urbanbaby.ca (in the contest section). Happy Brushing