Maintaining Great Dental Hygiene for the Whole Family
May 24, 2016I participated in this sponsored campaign on behalf of Firefly®, REACH®, and One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.
As a mom of two young kids, one of the most important things I can do is instill in my kids certain positive habits that will provide a lifetime of benefits for them. One such habit is practicing proper dental hygiene every day. When it comes to entertaining my kids and getting them excited about brushing their teeth, nothing compares to the fun products from Firefly®! My husband and I are long-time fans of REACH® toothbrushes for ourselves due to their effective cleaning power & great value! Today, I’m sharing tips on maintaining great dental hygiene for the whole family! Also, keep reading to learn more about the Lights, Camera, Smiles! sweepstakes, where a family of four can win a trip to Hollywood!
Maintaining Great Dental Hygiene for the Whole Family
1. Brush teeth properly!
Did you know that there is a proper way to brush one’s teeth? Keep the bristles at an angle of 45 degrees near the gum line and use a back-and-forth, up-and-down motion. Be gentle to avoid irritating the gum. Repeat the same procedure to clean the inside surfaces of the teeth. Don’t forget to brush your tongue, too! Aim to brush your teeth at least two times per day. When it comes to encouraging my kids to brush their teeth regularly, I love the convenience and effectiveness of Firefly® products! These products basically turn brush time into a fun play time for my kids! We recently tried the super cool Kylo Ren Lightsaber toothbrush (part of the complete Star Wars Collection), which lights up for a full 60 seconds! This is a fabulous way to teach kids to brush for a full minute on each row of teeth! And my kids were totally mesmerized by the flashing lights!
This toothbrush also features character voices, fun quotes from the movie, flashing lights and amazing sound effects. This tooth brush makes brushing one’s teeth a really fun experience! I really appreciate that it also comes with a protective cap to keep the bristles clean when it’s not in use. Firefly® actually offers many different ADA-approved children’s oral care products and recently developed new toothbrushes with even more fun characters! These brushes are effective & affordable! Look for the Kylo Ren Lightsaber toothbrush at your local Walmart or Walgreens and conquer the battle against cavities twice per day with your kids!
2. Replace toothbrushes often!
Did you know that you’re supposed to replace your toothbrush every three months and every time you recover from a cold? Replacing toothbrushes often means that it’s a good idea to keep a nice collection of brushes in the house at all times. My husband and I are big fans of REACH® toothbrushes. It’s a long-standing brand that offers so many different dental care products at affordable price points!
The REACH® UltraClean toothbrush provides a wonderfully clean feeling with floss-like bristles and a super convenient tongue cleaner! Cleaning one’s tongue is an often-overlooked step of a proper dental care routine. Look for this toothbrush at Walmart & Target. You can find it in a single count or a 4-count value pack! I like purchasing a value pack, so I know I always have extra brushes in the house! The REACH® Advanced Design Toothbrush is specially designed to deep-clean along the gum line. The longer outer bristles and shorter inner bristles make it easy to remove plaque from every single tooth! That’s a level of clean that you can be excited about! Look for this toothbrush at Walmart & Walgreens in a value pack of two toothbrushes.
3. Floss regularly!
Sometimes, it can be difficult to remember to floss, but it’s a super important part of every oral care routine. Flossing removes food particles that are located between the teeth- in spots where brushing can’t reach! Aim to floss at least once per day.
4. Avoid sodas and candies!
Excessive consumption of sugary foods & drinks can contribute to tooth decay and increase the likelihood of cavity development. In particular, sweet gummy candies are notoriously bad for teeth & gum health due to their sugar content and gummy texture.
Stick to water (or unsweetened beverages) instead of soda.
5. Consume plenty of calcium-rich foods!
Calcium is one of the most important minerals for healthy teeth. It is ideal to get extra calcium through your diet; enjoy calcium-rich foods & beverages, such as milk, orange juice, yogurt, broccoli, cheese and other dairy products. Calcium and Vitamin D are very important to maintain the health and integrity of teeth & gums.
6. Use a mouth rinse daily!
Using a mouthwash every day is an important part of a proper dental routine. Mouthwash can kill the bad bacteria in the mouth as well as help to maintain good breath. It’s an easy final step of a dental hygiene routine.
My kids really love the new sugar-free, alcohol-free Firefly® Spiderman Fun Pump Rinse (found at Walmart). It features a lovely melon flavor that the kids really enjoy! I love that it comes equipped with a mess-free cup to prevent messy sinks! Between the Firefly® Spiderman Fun Pump Rinse and the Kylo Ren Lightsaber toothbrush, my kids now look forward to cleaning their teeth now! And that’s a new development that’s exciting to me!
7. Visit the dentist regularly!
It’s important to visit the dentist office at least twice per year to have a full hygiene treatment, including a professional cleaning and a check-up. Routine x-rays are also useful for detecting and preventing future dental problems.
I have an exciting sweepstakes to share with you: the Lights, Camera, Smiles! sweepstakes on the Firefly® Facebook page! One lucky grand prize winner will win a trip for a family of four to Hollywood! Click here to learn more and enter! Good luck, friends!
Now, I’d love to hear from you. What are your tips for maintaining proper dental hygiene? How do you encourage the kids to brush their teeth often? Would you love to win a trip to Hollywood?
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Thanks for the tips. My kids go to the dentist every six months and I make sure they brush, floss and rinse several times a day.
We are trying to do better with our dental health. We have never been terrible at it, but I know there is always room for improvement!
These are great tips, dental hygiene is so important for everyone. Glad you are sharing some tips on this!
My parents were fairly diligent at making sure I always brushed and flossed several times a day. It is a habit now. I don’t feel right unless I do!
I really need to be better about eating calcium rich foods or taking a calcium supplement. I definitely don’t get enough and I want to take care of my teeth.
I love Reach toothbrushes! That Star Wars toothbrush is too cool. This is a great list – I definitely agree with all of these habits, and floss regularly myself!
I’m loving the fun dental hygiene supplies! I think my kids would have loved the Star Wars light saber toothbrush.
Wonderful tips. i love reach brushes, it’s what our whole family uses! Also, your bathroom is gorgeous loving the countertops! Good dental hygiene is so important!
Those are some cool toothbrushes. I don’t play around when it comes to my teeth. I like your tips!
These are all wonderful tips. I’m always on top of my daughter to take proper care of her teeth and gums. She’ll thank me later. Reach is the only toothbrush I buy now. Love them!
It is so important. The more you take care of them the less you have to worry about getting problems.
#4 might be hard to do and I doubt much people can really do that. We make sure we visit the dentist regularly so that our teeth are healthy and clean.
Great tips.. Maintaining dental hygiene is very important! I love soft brushes, better for our gum
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These are all great tips for maintaining dental hygiene for the whole family. The Star Wars toothbrush and the Spider Man mouth rinse would be perfect for my niece’s little ones. Thanks for sharing the tips.
Dental hygiene is so important! It’s so funny how a cool looking toothbrush can really impact a child’s desire to brush their teeth.
I always get my kids really fun toothbrushes it really helps to keep them brushing. I need to make my sons first dentist appt soon.
Thanks for the wonderful tips!! My kiddos loves to go the dentist when it’s time!! We always go out to eat after their appointments.
I didn’t know i have to change my toothbrush every time I recover from colds. Thanks for sharing these dental hygiene tips.
These are really lovely tips, learnt something new today
Those are amazing tooth brushes that every kids could enjoy.