Thursday, August 26, 2010

Five Tips for a Bright Healthy Smile

I just recently posted about the value of a tooth here. While I still don't think they are worth $10, I do think that the value of a healthy tooth far outweighs the value of an unhealthy one.  Because of that, I encourage my children to develop healthy habits for their teeth which will lead to a bright and healthy smile.  I'd love to hear some of your tips for how you get your kids to keep their teeth clean.  Here are a few of mine:
  1. My girls aren't able to brush their teeth after every meal, but they do brush at least twice a day - after breakfast and dinner.  
  2. To ensure that my kids brush long enough, they sing while they brush.  The alphabet gets sung 4 times - once for their upper teeth, once for the lower, once for the fronts of their teeth (say cheese!) and once for the accessory parts (tongue, roof of the mouth, backsides of the teeth).  They like how they sound when humming with their mouths full of toothpaste, so the time just flies by.
  3. The girls drink only water throughout the day.  I read somewhere once that it takes 20 minutes for your saliva to get all the sugars from sodas and juices off your teeth from a single drink.  If you are a constant soda sipper, then your teeth will be exposed to sugar constantly throughout the day.  By limited the juices to only meals, we prevent excessive sugar exposure.
  4. Have you seen those commercials where the kids are getting into all sorts of trouble and when the parents ask them what they're doing, they say, "Fighting cavities."  Those really crack me up.  Besides that, they have been a good reminder to keep sugar free gum in my purse at all times.  That way, when we're out and about and the girls get a treat or a snack.  They can follow it up with some gum to keep their teeth healthy, even if they can't always brush.
  5. My final tip is to find a dentist that you and your kids all love.  My girls love their dentist.  They look forward to going twice a year to have their teeth "tickled".  Our dentist is great with the girls and very patient - even though he isn't a pediatric dentist.  Get recommendations from family and friends, and don't be afraid to "shop around".  You are definitely more likely to go and take your kids if each experience is a good one.

Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

1 comment: