September is Dental Health Awareness Month. They say you should start teaching your kids to brush their teeth from day one but it is not always easy, right? Some kids battle with brushing their teeth for sensory reasons and others have their own personal reasons for not wanting to ever brush their teeth. But the fact is, dental health is essential and so we have to guide the process as parents.
Some fun facts about teeth and dental health.
- Tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the human body!
- Teeth contain stem cells. How freaky is this? It may be possible eventually to grow new teeth.
- Teeth are unable to repair themselves which is why dentists exist and why caring for your teeth is so important.
- Tooth decay is an infectious disease because it is a bacteria passed between people. (Gross, right?)
Dental Health is not only important because no one likes to talk to someone with a stinky breathe but there are a few other reasons it is important.
- A visit to the dentist isn’t cheap. Maintaining healthy dental health can reduce the number of visits to the dentist dramatically.
- Dental health impacts overall health. An infection in a tooth or your mouth can make your child really sick, if you have ever had an infection in your mouth you will know it is never pleasant.
- Cavaties are painful. Getting your kids into a good routine early on can prevent this.
- Kids are mean and while there are many causes of bad breathe, good dental health can prevent a lot of them.
My kids go through phases, most nights they are both ok to brush their teeth but some nights they develop very secret, personal reasons for not wanting to brush their teeth which results in some tension but it is something we don’t let go.
It is also a little bit of a struggle to find a toothpaste that the kids like and is good for them. We are testing the Pure Beginnings toothpaste and Emma is loving it so far. (Jack is indifferent). The bonus with this range is that it is fluoride and SLS free, it also contains xylitol which inhibits the growth of bacteria. These toothpastes are also safe for kids to swallow and the kaolin and calcium carbonate protect tooth enamel during the brushing process.
What toothpaste are you using for your kids?
15 Responses
What a great post. I’m so grateful that my two are pretty easy going and allow me to brush their teeth. It can be a hard fight sometimes.
Dental hygiene is so important at any age. Learning while young is so helpful.
After paying for a few fillings I am definitely even more motivated to invest in dental health for my kids. I just need to get them on board.
My kids both enjoy brushing their teeth due in part to having fun toothbrushes (ie. Kids’ Electroic version that has their fav cartoon characters) and also Elmo’s brush your teeth song lol.
It is important to help kids brush their teeth, even if they don’t like it. Two of my kids love brushing, one did not like it as a toddler. You are being a good parent by brushing their teeth, even if they don’t like it!
We have the berry by Pure Beginings will def try the Vanilla next.We brush my oldest (special needs) teeth daily (a daily monumental task lol) but because he doesn’t know how to spit out any excess paste we ve been using Pure Beginings for a while now.
By the way: love love that you’ve also gone the bamboo tb route.
Shocks me to think the marketing teams at P&G haven’t thought to partner with bamboo tb manufacturers and launch their own.
I am so grateful that both my kids love dental hygiene and always are easygoing.
These are such good tips! And I love the bamboo toothbrush!
We use a flouride free toothpaste along with re-mineralization powder on my kids teeth. I have also gotten sealants on my older kids permanent teeth.I really try to do everything I can because I don’t want them to be stuck with fillings they’ll have for life.
I was surprised to find some parents didn’t know how early care can begin. Good tips!
we always used fluoride free as the toddler already doesn’t like brushing, he cant be trusted to spit
My kids will probably like the vanilla flavor! And Xylitol is really a good ingredient to keep their teeth clean. My 3 year old has an electric toothbrush- he enjoys brushing his teeth more now because of it.
Dental hygiene is such an important thing. Thanks for sharing such precise and to the point tips.
Very nice article indeed! I know about the importance of good dental hygiene because my 8 year old got cavities because of too much candies and the Sugar Land dentist, Bella Smiles had to give him a long talk about dental hygiene.
My dentists at Solara Dental Care in Calgary have taught my kids the best ways to take care of their teeth. I truly believe that foundation helped them grow up with great smiles!