Archives for February 2012

“You don’t have to brush your teeth – just the ones you want to keep.” – Author Unknown

I’m pretty lucky – Abby LOVES brushing her teeth. She sneaks into all of the bathrooms in the house to steal people’s toothbrushes, and then proudly comes to show us as she brushes her “teef” with our own brush. While I don’t appreciate the expense of constantly buying new toothbrushes for everyone, I do totally appreciate that she is off to a great start in keeping those tiny toddler teeth healthy. But while she can’t wait to brush each morning and night – The boys in my house used to be the total opposite! Like every mom, I try to avoid fighting, nagging, whining, or complaining in my house – so when we have a challenge, I try to come up with a solution to make the task fun. And that’s where the Twooth Timer comes to the rescue!

“Using Twooth Timer twice a day, Helps your kids fight tooth decay!”

The Twooth Timer is exactly what it sounds like it would be – A super fun timer to encourage your kids to brush their teeth longer. Experts recommend brushing for at least 2 minutes – but the average kiddo only brushes for around 30 seconds – Yikes! And, tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood ailment – 5 times more common even than asthma. Clearly, we could all use a few tools to help kids do a better job in brushing, right?

Tips and Tools for Better Brushing

We used to have quite a bit of trouble with oral health care in this house – The boys {5 and 8 years old} went to their yearly check-ups last year, and both had quite a few cavities. They never wanted to brush their teeth – I had to remind them a million times each morning and night, and couldn’t seem to get them to add it to their regular routine on their own. But, we got a little more creative, and at their last check-up they both got a big thumbs up for no new cavities! I’ll share a few of the tips and tools that work best for our family –

• Use a reminder – We have a big white board in the hall that lists each thing that the kids need to do in the morning before school, and then again in the evening before bed. They get to check off each day that they complete everything – and 5 check marks during the week gets them a fun reward on the weekend! Sure, it’s a bit of bribery, but it’s worked wonders in keeping them on task.
• Get fun supplies – Let the kids help you shop for brushing supplies. They’ll be much more excited to brush with a cool super hero toothbrush that they choose themselves. Get a fun toothpaste – We use the Xlear Spry Tooth Gel in Strawberry Banana – And try those cool character-themed floss picks too. There are a lot of fun choices you can check out – They might cost a little more than a store brand product, but if they can save you money on dentist bills, they’re well worth it!
• Get the Twooth Timer! – When it’s time to brush, the kids simply turn the timer to the big number 2, and get to brushing. At our house, they like to “race” – They brush as fast as they can for the full two minutes, making sure that they get every single tooth before the timer goes off. I love that they can go brush their teeth on their own, and I know that they’ll do a great job, since they always brush until the Twooth Timer tells them to stop. They think it’s super fun – I think it’s super effective!

Check out the Twooth Timer online

Available on their site – Only $10.99 for the Twooth Timer, and check out their other fun products too!

Follow them on Twitter – @TwoothTimer, and get their exclusive coupon on Facebook to save 25% off!

Enter to Win Your Own Twooth Timer!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to enter to win – And, if you’re feeling lucky today, check out my huge list of new giveaways in the sidebar. The more you enter, the more chances that you have to win!

Have fun and Good luck!

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