ARBITERS OF PASTE

TOOTHPASTE manufacturers are cashing in on the perennial anxiety of parents about instilling good teeth-cleaning habits in their offspring. To lure young customers, they sell toothpastes in novel flavours and colourful packaging emblazoned with c artoon characters. We asked a panel of children to try them out and tell us which had the best taste and texture, and which one's looks appealed most.

Children's toothpastes - which are usually more expensive than ordinary ones - are not simply a marketing ploy, however. Contrary to what you might expect, they generally contain less fluoride than adult versions. There is good reason for this. If young

children have too much fluoride, there is a risk that their permanent teeth may emerge with a chalky or brown stain. About 200 parents across Britain are trying to sue toothpaste manufacturers for damages, arguing that tubes don't carry proper warnings. So although fruity flavours may encourage children to look forward to teeth-cleaning, letting them swallow vast quantities of the stuff is not a good idea.

THE PANEL Cathryn Rebak (three); William Beaumont (four) and Matthew Beaumont (seven); Gabriel Morrison (five) and Aphra Morrison (ten); Ben and Joe Gess (both aged three).

THE TEST Either a parent or an older child tried out the toothpastes with each young panellist, giving marks for taste, texture, appearance and packaging.

*SAINSBURY'S CHILDREN'S DENTAL GEL 79p for 50ml A strawberry-flavoured gel in a pink, orange and blue patterned package and tube, this didn't hit quite the right note with children. "Neither of my two thought much of the tube design," said Sarah Beaumont. "Matt loved the juicy, fruity flavour but William thought it was just OK." Ann Rebak said her daughter Cathryn, a mint fan, "wasn't too keen on the flavour" - but praised the tube as easy to open and close.

*SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 99p for 50ml Some kids liked it, others didn't. "William loved Sonic on the tube," said his mother, "and the blue gel." But this toothpaste was one of the least popular as far as the Gess twins were concerned. "They didn't like the packaging," said their mother, Jackie Gess, "complained that the taste was too strong - and spat it out. Yuk!"

**COLGATE 0-6 GEL 95p for 50ml The cartoon on the packaging, showing a little tooth-man brushing his teeth, appealed to the panel. So did the fact that the toothpaste comes out of the tube in the shape of a star. "Joe liked the star shape," said Jackie Gess, "which prompted a rendition of `Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'." Cathryn Rebak's mother liked this: "The mint taste is mild and doesn't burn Cathryn's tongue like the adult ones do," she said.

****TESCO BLACKCURRANT FLAVOUR TOOTHPASTE 89p for 75ml This dark purple gel in a squidgy transparent tube was the overall favourite. It won approval from our panel both for its taste and its unconventional looks - more like a lurid hair gel than a toothpaste. "Matthew and William loved the tube," said Sarah

Beaumont, "because it Iooked so different from the others. Both also loved the colour and tangy blackcurrant taste." This was also a favourite for Ben and Joe Gess. Cathryn Rebak, on the other hand, quickly tired of the fruity taste. Her mother thought the colour and packaging rather too sophisticated for very young children. Excellent value for money, though.

**PUNCH & JUDY CHILDREN'S TOOTHPASTE 99p for 50ml Most panellists enjoyed this orange-flavoured paste. "Ben and Joe liked this very much," said Jackie Gess. "They didn't want to try anything else." Sarah Beaumont commented: "Matt loved the orange flavourbut William thought it tasted funny." Aphra Morr i son thought it was good for younger children: "Not too sweet," was her verdict. The packaging, though, was not as bright as some of the others.

**MACLEAN'S MILK TEETH £1.99 for 100ml Of the mint toothpastes, this was the one with the most popular taste. "Both Matthew and William gave the flavour high marks - but this is the one we normally use at home," said Sarah Beaumont. Some panellists weren't too keen on the pump dispenser. "It's big and bulky," said Ann Rebak, "and it could be hard for a child to squeeze the paste out."

**ORAL-B BUGS BUNNY FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE £1.79 for l00ml This is a great choice for fans of Bugs Bunny and friends such as Daffy the Duck. Cathryn Rebak, three, was so fascinated with the cartoon characters on the pump dispenser that it was hard to persuade her to clean her teeth with the turquoise, minty gel .

Gabriel Morrison had mixed views: "Nice colour, horrible taste," he said. His sister Aphra found it "dull and sweet."

***CREST MILKTEETH 95p for 50ml Narrowly beat our winner, Tesco blackcurrant toothpaste, into second place on popularity - but it is much more expensive, hence its lower star rating. This raspberry gel scored well for both its jolly, easy-to-use tube andits taste. "Nice colour, delici ous," said Gabriel Morrison. Sarah Beaumont commented: "Both kids loved the squat-shaped, stand-up tube. Even William - who's not really a fruit fan - loved it and said it tasted like nice medicine."

*BOOTS TOM & JERRY 85p for 50ml There were some positive reactions to this toothpaste, but it wasn't one of the panel's overall favourites. Ben Gess, for example, gave it very low marks for flavour, while his twin Joe ranked it as one of the nicer-tasting ones. The Morrison children were fairly keen. "Nice colour and good taste," said Gabriel, while Aphra commented that "it tasted strong."

ASDA CHILDREN'S FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE 77p for 50ml This was the least popular on taste; the Morrison children were particularly critical about the mild mint flavour. "Horrible, disgusting," they said. Only Matt Beaumont liked the taste, which he found similar to the family's usual Maclean's. Nor was the

panel very keen on the packaging, which was less jazzy than most.