Philips launches a new power toothbrush for kids

American children miss more school days each year due to dental related problems than any other two diseases combined. As parents help their kids prepare for back-to-school, they can help kids learn effective tooth brushing habits for a lifetime of good oral health with the new Philips Sonicare For Kids power toothbrush.

Sonicare For Kids is specially designed to support kids' needs at every phase of oral development from 4 -10 years of age. Using proven, patented sonic technology from the number one recommended power toothbrush brand by U.S. dental professionals for adults, it removes more plaque than a children's manual toothbrush.

"Compliance is one of the toughest hurdles for pediatric patients so dental professionals are always looking for opportunities to help parents develop good oral habits in their children," said Linda Blackiston, RDH and Professional Educator for Philips Sonicare. "Sonicare For Kids is a great tool with kid-friendly features that is clinically proven to remove up to 75 percent more plaque in hard-to-reach areas than a children's manual toothbrush in children aged 7-10."

For a gentle, yet effective clean, Sonicare For Kids has two power modes that are 60 and 40 percent less powerful than Sonicare FlexCare - ideal for younger teeth and gums. To help progress children towards brushing independence, Sonicare For Kids has an ergonomic handle that includes two gripping locations for early training with an adult and solo brushing later on, and age-appropriate brush heads that come in two sizes.

Sonicare For Kids offers several other kid-friendly features including:

• KidTimer(R) helps kids reach the recommended 2-minute brushing time by progressively increasing time over 90 days
• KidPacer(R) technology with fun musical tones indicates when it's time to move to the next quadrant of the mouth
• Interchangeable front design panels so kids can change the look of their brush

"Almost half of kids will have a cavity by age 10, yet it's easy to deprioritize tooth brushing at the end of a long, busy day," said Ron Tiktin, Director, Customer Marketing, Philips Sonicare. "Sonicare For Kids makes at home oral care simpler and more effective for both parents and children so good habits are formed early."

In clinical studies, children ages seven to ten brushed significantly longer with Sonicare For Kids than with the Oral-B(R) Stages(R) '4' manual toothbrush and demonstrated significantly better brushing performance than with a children's battery toothbrush.

Sonicare For Kids is available now at www.philips.com/store or for pre-sale at Amazon.com or Target.com and will be available at Target stores in October. The suggested retail price is $69.99. For more information, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/philipssonicare or visit www.sonicare.com.