Our family has been concentrating on a healthy habit for the last 14 days. Namely, upping our game in the oral hygiene department. In light of our experience (more on that in a second), here are a few tips to get your family into the healthy brushing habit!

5 Tips To Get Your Family Excited About Tooth Time

Start Young.

Did you know that you should start brushing children’s teeth even before they have them? With all the changes and routines to put in place for diapering, eating, and the like, this one sometimes takes a back seat. The public health nurse frequently commented on our visits that you should run a wet washcloth over the gum line. The Canadian Dental Association has a routine for this that you may want to try. 

Add FUN.

Singing a merry tune or adding to the routine can make it really dynamic. Teeth brushing is no exception, and here are a few of our favourite fun additions:

If you are a child of the 80’s you probably remember this classic: Brush Your Teeth by Raffi

Teach your child the words and sing along while they brush! If they stop brushing you stop singing…

We’re also huge fans of the Tooth Time app (free) from TVO Kids. Animated characters sing a Tooth Time song & the on-screen graphics show you when to change the location of your brush. Mr J loves receiving a sticker at the end of each brushing that shows on the calendar. After so many brushings, you unlock more stickers, so it keeps children motivated.

Pick a Great Tasting Toothpaste

 What appeals to adult taste buds don’t necessarily appeal to kids! Also, children under the age of 3 years should be using a non-flouride toothpaste. Our current favourite is Toms of Maine Flouride-Free Silly Strawberry.

Be a Great Role Model

Pick up your own brush & model the behaviour you want to see from your children. At times, actions speak louder than words. Plus, this will stop you from that late-night snacking. Hydrate with a little H20 instead.

Pick a Toothbrush That’s Easy To Use

No one wants to be the mom or dad that is trying to hold down that screaming child while you attempt to brush their teeth. By picking a brush with patented sonic technology that is easy & fun to use, children can independently brush their teeth without worry about plaque being left behind.

 

Our Families’ #SonicareSmiles

We’ve been testing two of the brushes from  the Sonicare team: Sonicare Diamond Clean & Sonicare for Kids. I was slightly skeptical about whether or not the whitening mode on the Diamond Clean would really show a noticeable difference in just one week. After about four days of use, we took a few impromptu family photos. After downloading them straight out of my camera, I was shocked at the difference in my teeth. No editing required – what blogger doesn’t love that?

The design of the charger is very attractive on our bathroom counter. It is also convenient for the kids to rinse their mouths after brushing as opposed to me lifting them up to the sink. Our next adventure will take us off-grid camping, the 3 week battery life will definitely come in handy! It did take a while to adjust to the lack of brushing and scrubbing movement, but honestly the brush removes 7x more plaque by itself. The only caution is the brush is on the more expensive side. It is still less than cost of many cavities and trips to the dentist. As well, many members can use the interchangeable brush heads instead of assigning one brush to each individual.

Mr J had the pleasure of testing out the Sonicare for Kids. He enjoyed customizing his brush with one of the 8 different faceplate stickers. He frequently reminded me throughout the last 14 days when it was time to brush our teeth. The power struggles over making sure he did a great job brushing were forgotten. He had so much fun with it, he frequently made funny faces at himself in the mirror while he brushed. The Kid Pacer sings when it is time to pick a different area of your mouth, which is easy to understand even more little brushers. 

All in all, a great success, a new Healthy Family routine formed. We even got Ms. P started with her very own little brush, and in a few years we’ll upgrade her to a snazzy Sonicare for Kids too.