I wondered why it took one of my sons so long to brush his teeth and why he spit every couple of seconds. It turned out that he didn’t like the mint flavor and mint sting and didn’t like the foamy texture. So, I set out to find other alternatives.

What I found is that there is a class of kids’ toothpastes that are equal to the therapeutic qualities of adult toothpaste (they clean your teeth and have fluoride) but without the issues that annoyed my son and that limited his brushing. And I found that they are really very nice to use, kid or not, and whether you have issues with regular toothpaste or not.

The two that I have tried are Tom’s of Maine Kids Toothpaste in a number of their flavors, Mango Orange and Blueberry, which have less foam than other brands but still do have some foaming ingredients in them. Both flavors are very pleasant. Tom’s is a mass-market brand available in supermarkets.

The other brand is Tasty Paste, a brand that I found only online. This brand comes in two flavors, Vanilla and Chocolate, has no foaming chemicals in them at all and most of all really tastes great. They have an odd side benefit for me given that they taste like pudding or candy — I can fool myself that I had some dessert after dinner when I brush my teeth and feel like I have had a sweet. There are quite a few other brands on supermarket shelves and online that I have not tried.

-- Lee Ellman 04/17/23