I still haven’t figured out why my daughter avoids taking care of her teeth like the plague. I hope that taking part in the Listerine Smart Rinse Sweet Smart Oral Care Challenge will change things for the better because I’m doing something wrong. Even with the incentive of getting much needed and wanted braces, my daughter conveniently forgets to brush and floss her teeth.

Good Vs. Bad Dental Habits

When she was a baby, I used a washcloth to clean her gums and baby teeth (that’s what we were told to do back then). . My husband and I brushed her teeth when she was a toddler. Dentist visits began at the age of 3 and she loved going. Thankfully we had dental insurance unlike “43% of Americans who don’t”. As soon as she was old enough she learned how to brush her teeth and the length of brushing time – sing Happy Birthday two times. Everything was fine with her teeth. There was no need to take part in an Oral Care Challenge!

Unfortunately, some bad habits began around the age of 9. We weren’t told by her dentist to brush her teeth until she was 8 years old. I think I stopped watching her around that age instead. Soon she’d wet her tooth brush in place of brushing. She just wouldn’t floss. And she started to need more frequent dental visits to have her teeth professionally cleaned. Just about a year ago, we learned that the kid’s dentist we took her to wasn’t a real pediatric dentist and we missed out on important information to avoid dental disease.

Children’s Oral Care Information

I had the opportunity to attend a webinar about children’s dental care to get prepared for the Listerine Smart Rinse Sweet Smart Oral Care Challenge. Fern Igner, Founding President and CEO of America’s ToothFairy shared information on signing up your child for the ToothFairy Club. Your child will get a personalized letter from the Tooth Fairy and fun activities to keep them taking care of their teeth and gums.

Dr. Kanetta Lott, a pediatric dentist answered our questions and gave us lots of tips to get our children excited about oral care. For example, use a reward chart, play a song that lasts 3 minutes (2 for brushing and 1 for rinsing), make funny faces with your child as they brush, etc. My daughter loves Phineas and Ferb and they have free music to download with the purchase of Phineas and Ferb Listerine Smart Rinse at Walmart. (Note – music will start to play when you open this link.)

She also shared that besides brushing and flossing, a “post-brushing” rinse like Listerine Smart Rinse should be used. When your child spits it out, they will see the food particles left behind – kind of gross, but just what kids like. It also “provides 12 hour cavity protection and strengthens teeth 99% more than brushing alone”.

The Challenge

During our 3 week Listerine Challenge, we’ll be using a reward chart, a timer and music, the Smart Rinse, Listerine Agent Cool Blue Rinse and an access flosser. My daughter will also brush and floss after lunch and plans to donate most of her Halloween candy to a local food bank. I will be taking a bigger part in helping her with caring for her teeth by sitting with her, gently reminding her and giving her small rewards every 3 days. Her goal is to get an extra good report from the orthodontist during her November visit.

Disclosure: I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Listerine Smart Rinse Sweet Smart Challenge. All thoughts and opinions are my own as always.

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