^[1]I will be honest as a mom of 5 kiddos there have been plenty of days my children have not brushed, flossed and rinsed  their teeth twice a day – and even a few days they totally forgot to brush those pearly whites. Could it be due to being a tired mom, busy days and my need to give a little more motivation to my kids to get those teeth brushed?

Did you know that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth?  Or that 50% of children will have a cavity or filling between the ages of 5 and 9?  Makes you think twice about what you’re doing to keep your mouth healthy, right?!!  February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so there’s no better time to start re-thinking how you and your family take care of your mouths.

To help encourage Americans to adopt healthy behaviors that lead to a healthier lifestyle, the makers of LISTERINE® and REACH® are asking my family and yours  to re-evaluate our oral care habits and learn why taking a few extra minutes a day for a complete oral care routine that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing is so important.  To complete the challenge my family will  need to brush, floss and rinse twice a day for three weeks.

As we prepare for this challenge to begin I thought a few dental tips and resources might motivate you and your family to join us as we begin our three week challenge:

Tips for moms : From Dr. Kaneta Lott, DDS (pediatric dentist):

• Make oral care fun (e.g., make it a game; brush, floss and rinse to music; etc).
• Reward their behavior (e.g., give gold stars for good oral care).
• Show, don’t tell – make oral care a family affair.
• Involve them in their own oral care routine by providing products like LISTERINE® Smart Rinse, which can make the daily routine more fun, provides 12-hour cavity protection for kids and strengthens teeth 99 percent

Resources for motivation: Create a “Tooth Brushing” routine by using charts and rewards.  Here are some online resources for charts and reward programs:

Thomas and Friends Brushing Rewards Chart:
http://www.orajel.com/articles/brushing-chart.aspx ^[2]

Free Printable Behavior Charts:
http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/oralhygienecharts.htm ^[3]

^[4]Chuck E Cheese Reward Charts:
http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/pdf/RewardTeeth.pdf ^[5]

About.com has links to reward charts, brushing tips and dental fun activities:
http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalactivitiesandgames/Dental_Activities_Coloring_Pages_Fun_Facts_Crafts_Games_for_Kids.htm ^[6]

DLTK Online offers free craft ideas, Tooth Brushing Songs, charts, and more:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/dental_health_month.htm

Products we will be using during our three week challenge:

• The REACH® TOTAL CARE Multi-action toothbrush has multi-directional bristles that thoroughly clean teeth from all directions, removing up to 90 percent of plaque.**

• REACH® TOTAL CARE Floss is designed for superior plaque removal and teeth whitening.

• Adding a 30-second rinse with LISTERINE® Antiseptic to your morning and nighttime routines, along with your usual brushing, has been proven in a clinical study to help reduce up to 70 percent more plaque and 36 percent more gingivitis than brushing and flossing alone.*

Visit  http://www.walmart.com ^[7] to access  tips from leading dental experts and great values and prices on oral care products to help your family establish better oral care habits.

Ready to get brushing, flossing and rinsing with us?  Watch for our report back in three weeks

“I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood
as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.”