Caring for Children’s Teeth (#BuildingSmiles )

We have been having a battle in our home about brushing teeth. Specifically with my 5 year old. Trying to get a 5 year old to stand in the bathroom for 2 minutes focusing on her teeth is very challenging! We have tried the flavored tooth paste but that does not help. We have tried “stickers” but that does not help either.

I was shocked when I read “Your Child’s Mouth” on the Colgate website and learned that not only should we be brushing, but we need to be flossing too! They recommend flossing once a day once teeth are touching. WOW!

I have found the best way to get her excited about brushing her teeth is to do it with me!  We make dental care a group thing. Morning and night my toddler and 5 year old join me in the bathroom for “teeth time”. When they see me brushing and flossing they want to do it too! We usually throw in some fun songs during “teeth time” as well. I recommend moms let their kids come up with a fun and catchy tune that helps add excitement to the experience!

It is so important that we teach them early! I also learned about Early childhood caries, or ECC, a serious form of cavities. ECC occurs when baby’s teeth are exposed to sugars for long periods throughout the day. This can happen from  using sippy cups or bottles. These sugary liquids can ultimately lead to tooth decay. This is why it is so important for even the infants to have their teeth brushed!

This is such an important habit to teach from the start! How do you help get your kids excited about brushing and flossing? How do you keep them excited about healthy and clean teeth? I would love to hear creative ideas! I will be doing more posts on this topic and I MAY use your ideas! 🙂

FYI- When you are on the Colgate site check out the money saving coupons under Special Offers.

Disclosure: This post has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias. All opinions are 100% mine and not provided by Colgate.