Brushing your kids teeth can be a necessary evil. Without a doubt, me chasing down my 2 year old and pinning him down ’til he opens his mouth is a common part of our brushing routine. Mind you, this is a huge game and he is laughing at me the whole time. Often, I look at him opening his mouth a huge accomplishment, and the two-minute suggested brush-span is something that just sounds nice. But, there are ways that you can make tooth brushing less painful. Here are some tools to include in your nightly arsenal:
Kids’ Flossers: Instead of buying a roll of floss, I find both of my kids let me use Kid’s Flossers to floss their teeth with NO FUSS. They say Ahhhh and I quickly get my fingers on the easy grip handles, get the narrow flosser head in their mouth and poke that nylon thread between their gappy teeth. It’s great that they get used to flossing now, since the gap between their teeth is pretty big, so there is no pain associated with it. It’s not as bad as when an adult starts flossing after skipping that part of their routine for a while. I like the Firefly Kid’s Flossers since their handles are easy to grip and the head is narrow enough to fit in and out of my boys’ mouths quickly. My boys will even hold onto the textured grip themselves to try to do their teeth themselves.
My dentist told me I should be flossing my son’s teeth when he was two, if not younger. I started with my oldest son when he was 3.5 years and my youngest when he turned 2. Flossing their teeth will help reduce or prevent gingivitis.
Kid’s Mouth Wash: I just recently started looking at mouth wash for the boys. I haven’t bought any yet, since they are designed for children 6 and up. I do know that I would not want to use a mouthwash with alcohol when teaching them to rinse, which a lot of adult mouthwashes have. Firefly does make a “mouth swoosh” that is sugar-free, alcohol-free and has the necessary fluoride to help prevent cavities. As soon as my son’s turn 6, I’ll be using this stuff! It comes in Bubble Gum Flavor, very kid friendly. No sting like our adult mint flavors! With mouthwash, you want the kids to swoosh for 30 seconds. So the Firefly Mouth Swoosh top has a special cap that lights up for 30 seconds. When the light stops, your kids can spit out the mouthwash! Ingenious!
Kids’ Toothbrushes: There are lots of kid toothbrushes to choose from, each with their own advantages. The Firefly brand toothbrush is cool for a few reasons. The most obvious is its light-up feature. You push up on its rubber end and it will blink for 1 minutes. One minute for the top of the mouth – then push the button again so they can brush 1 minute on the bottom. Remember, dentists want our kids to brush for two minutes. The bristles are soft, which is what you always want to buy for kids and adults. Batteries are already included in the toothbrush and they should last the lifespan of the brush, around 3 months. We change our brushes almost monthly, though,
There are a few cute Firefly Brushes you can choose from. There is Baby Firefly, which has a thicker, rounder bottom. This one actually has a button you push to activate the 60 second timer. Baby Firefly Toothbrushes come in pink and blue.
There is the original Firefly flashing toothbrush, which looks like a basic toothbrush, with soft bristles, except this one lights up. You push in the rubber bottom to activate the lighted timer. This brush comes in six colors and you can choose a 1-pack or 2-pack. The colors are red, blue, clear, yellow, green and pink.
I love the Float ‘ Firefly Toothbrush. Just like the others, you push in the rubber base to make it flash. This brush is wider with a Firefly floating in glitter liquid, so it looks like the Firefly is blinking, which is uber cute. It comes with a base, so that the toothbrush can stand upright when drying. That is why I love this brush!
But, the most popular toothbrush in my house is the Spider-Man light-up timer toothbrush. It works just like the original, but this one has a button on the front you push. Then the toothbrush head, the building windows and Spider-Man all light up red. It’s awesome and the boys LOVE IT. Dr. Fresh, the makers of the Firefly Toothbrush, actually have a whole Marvel product line to keep kids smiling! It includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, plaque detecting rinse and more! It would be a great addition to an Easter Basket and you can order online at http://www.drfreshdental.com.
Firefly products come in infant to adult sizes and range from mouthwash to toothpaste. You can also check out their website for more info www.firefly.us.com
I’ve found Gripit Floss Holders – http://www.gripit.biz – to be the easiest way to store and use dental floss. I keep some extras around for when the grand kids spend the night. They like to use them. These handy devices come with their own floss supply that advances in seconds and can be refilled from local drug and grocery stores. They last a lifetime. I’ve used one for 35 years.