Taking Care of Toddler Teeth

Abby got her first teeth really late. She was born at the end of July, and started teething in November. I could feel little teeth wanting to poke through, and thought that it meant she’d have her first little pearly white pop through any time. I was so wrong – she didn’t get her first tooth until she was almost a year old!

First Dentist Visit

Since she just started to get her teeth at 12 months, I hadn’t even thought about going to a dentist yet. But I recently learned that it’s recommended that kids see the dentist for the first time when they get their first tooth, or by a year old – so at 15 months, we’re behind schedule. Many parents have the misconception that baby teeth don’t require too much care or concern, since they’re just going to fall out anyway. But this is why it’s important – 40% of children will suffer from cavities by the time they reach kindergarten. Getting an early start on good oral hygiene ensures that children will have healthy gums when their “Big Kid” teeth come in, and that they’ve developed good habits to take great care of them.

Some Challenges and Solutions:

• It’s tough trying to use a toothbrush on a baby: While those infant-style toothbrushes might be cute, they can be a big challenge. An easier option is to use baby teeth wipes to remove plaque from baby’s gums and budding teeth. Super simple, and very effective.
• I’m worried the visit to the Dentist will be scary: Kids can be scared of what they don’t know – so teach them about the dentist early on! Read toddler books about teeth brushing, or fun videos, to get them used to the idea. Abby watches her Baby Signing Time videos daily – and one of them talks about brushing your teeth. Soon after, she became super interested in watching us brush, and wanted to brush too! Watching the videos and reading the books has made it fun for her – so I’m sure our first dentist visit coming soon will go smoothly.
• What else you can do: Avoid putting baby to bed with a bottle after 12 months. Limit the amount of juice or other sugary drinks that children drink out of a sippy cup during the day. And of course, have kids brush after eating sticky candies or snacks – that sticky food can do a lot of damage to those little teeth.

 Oral Care is Important for the Whole Family!

Those baby and toddler teeth aren’t the only one’s that are important – the rest of the family needs to build some great habits too! Cavities are no fun for anyone – they can be really painful, and the bills for dental work add up really quickly. That’s why I’m excited to announce a new campaign from Listerine and Reach – the Oral Care Challenge!

The Oral Care Challenge

To get started, gather your whole family together, and build some excitement for the challenge. Maybe offer rewards, or break into teams. Talk about why oral health care is so important, and then let them know what their challenge will be…

The challenge is for everyone in the house to Brush, Floss, and Rinse every day, twice-a-day, for two full weeks.

Why is this so important? Because, while your family might be great at brushing every morning and night, brushing by itself misses 75% of the germs in your mouth! By flossing between teeth, and following with a great rinse, you’re doing a much more effective job, and fully protecting all those pretty teeth in your family’s smiles.

Protect Your Family’s Smile: From Toddler Teeth to Grown-Up Grins!

The smiles on your families face are the best part of the day – so make sure you’re helping them protect them! On your next shopping trip, make sure to stock up on some new products, to help make the challenge fun – Learn more about the full line of products from Listerine, and how they can help. Sign up for the ListerineKids newsletter for some money-saving coupons. And read some fun facts and tips on smart oral health care for kids too.

Savings Alert: $1.25 off when you buy any ONE LISTERINE® SMART RINSE® Anticavity Flouride Rinse

Join Me in the Oral Care Challenge!

Stay tuned in two weeks to learn how our challenge went – how successful we were, what challenges we faced, and our plans to improve. Are you planning to join the challenge too? Share your story in the comments!

{Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}