Manufacturers shine spotlight on kid’s oral care

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic conditions among children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with about 20% of children ages 5 years to 11 years old having at least one untreated decayed tooth. The good news is that tooth decay is preventable.

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To help shine a spotlight on the importance of oral care, the American Pharmacists Association Foundation recently partnered with America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation.



“Our partnership with America’s ToothFairy is a significant opportunity to impact families across the country by raising awareness of untreated oral disease as a leading health concern for children,” said Mindy Smith, APhA Foundation executive director.



Throughout the month of February, National Children’s Dental Health Month, America’s ToothFairy held its second annual Smile Drive — a national campaign to collect toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and rinse for at-risk children. In February 2014, more than 430,000 oral care products were collected and delivered to children in need.



While parents and caregivers can take steps to help ensure good oral health habits among children, manufacturers also are stepping up to the plate with products that will appeal to little ones.



For example, Colgate recently introduced its first line of kids’ mouthwashes, expanding on its portfolio of toothpastes and toothbrushes designed specifically for children. The anti-cavity rinse is available in fun colors and yummy flavors like Bubble Gum Swirl and Turtle Power Fruit, which features the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters.



Oral care brand hello has developed a new line of mint-free pastes for children launching exclusively at Target. The new line a cavity-fighting formula, but in mint-free flavors. Flavors include Green Apple, Bubble Gum and Blue Raspberry.



Meanwhile, Sunstar Americas is turning to such licensed characters as Power Rangers, Lalaloopsy and the dragons from DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” to help children develop healthy oral care habits.



On shelf by April of this year, the new toothbrushes will expand the existing Sunstar GUM oral care portfolio and join the full line of GUM Crayola toothbrushes, toothpaste and flossers.