My daughter (2.5) has been brushing her teeth, with or without our help, for about a year. Tom's of Maine, is not only all natural but comes in a host of flavors. My fave is fennel - black jelley bean - and they make a cinamint all of which are naturaly sweet. Their speramint is really good and is my daughter fave.
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/

Be Seeing You.

Sorry dude but they just stopped making fennel and cinnamint. Probably becasue I was the only person in N America that liked them. (shrug) Watcha gonna do.

Be Seeing You.

I can't imagine why they would quit making fennel-black jelly bean

North Carolina Dad's Group
http://lindsaybeans.blogspot.com
http://oneredsquirrelinstatesville.blogspot.com

Joel,
Ask your Dentist or Hygenist and more than likely they will direct you to Tom's as well (mine did). My concern was that it seemed like an oxymoron to teach your children to brush their teeth with toothpaste that tastes like candy (???). After finding nothing on the shelves @ the local grocery, we settled on Tom's and got the generic spearmint, which is not too overpowering, and volia - Now Olivia brushes her teeth like a champ and doesn't miss the "bubblegum" flavor (and she's none the wiser).
I also feel that advertising and marketing invades every "cavity" of our lives and candy flavored toothpaste is part of the problem. Your wife is correct about the routine, so good luck with the process!

Aye, there's nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased scotsman...

Paddyrat,

The whole toothpaste tasting like candy thing really bothers me as well. Thanks for sharing your conversation with the dentist. In terms of the marketing invading everything, it made me think of a Tom Cruise Movie in the future preventing murders (I can't remember the title)...anyway in this movie some type of scanner reads you eye and tailors each marketing/store front to your individual purchasing history. Not unlike, frequent shopper cards but much more invasive.

And Matt, you're right. I've lost my sense of humor for the better part of a week and it's really starting to grate on me. If Dylan could adequately express his feelings, he would tell you the same. His feelings, since he's been sick, are expressed with crying, crying and crying. It's like he's preparing me for the new baby.

Joel
Madison, Wi
Dylan-2, Surprise-April 30, 2008

http://grateful-joel.blogspot.com/

Arm & Hammer makes a tasty toothbrushing treat for kids. It comes in an orange box and you can even use it for cooking in the kitchen. I keep an open box in my refrigerator to keep the smell of rotting produce and leftover fish under control. Every Saturday night, when my kids brush, I wet their little toothbrushes under the kitchen faucet and then swirl the bristles in the open box of Arm & Hammer from the fridge.

Try it, your kids will fondly look back on their early days of toothbrushing with Daddy for the rest of their lives!

Jphillip, in bizarro world you'd be king! Kind or like when my parents look back at taking Iodine tablets for whatever reason. Brilliant! Creates fantastic, vivid memories.

Joel
Madison, Wi
Dylan-2, Surprise-April 30, 2008

http://grateful-joel.blogspot.com/

...Daddy, my toothpaste tastes like a thousand leftovers !!!!

Aye, there's nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased scotsman...

Since gross is already out there. Why not use urine? It's sterile, its free and in Matts case it whiskey flavored...
seriously we use cat in the hat toothpaste, bubble gum flavored, its not that sweet....

Kevin

http://web.mac.com/ciaalum92/SAHD_Man/Welcome.html

Please refrain for calling me "Mr. Mom" I now Prefer-- Domestic Overlord

It's nice to know I have options if he doesn't like minty or sweet. I'm also disappointed in myself for not thinking of these myself.

Joel
Madison, Wi
Dylan-2, Surprise-April 30, 2008

http://grateful-joel.blogspot.com/