Just a Little on the Middle of My Brush

By: Molly Luke, Early Intervention Specialized Instruction Teacher, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, Norristown, PA

February is here! The month we are reminded that dental hygiene is very important. I am excited to share some dental hygiene tips with you so you and your family can be brushing champions!

Choosy says to brush after meals, or twice a day so let’s try to get on track with this. Start your month off right by hanging a calendar in the bathroom where you and your children brush your teeth. Place a simple color scribble or sticker to track when everyone brushes their teeth on the calendar. When you promote this routine with your little ones, it won’t feel like a battle and will just become an expectation - as routine as putting on clothes when going to school!

Need some motivation? Take a trip to the store to pick out a special toothbrush, rinse cup and flavored toothpaste. Another fun thing is to watch “How It’s Made-Toothpaste”. Take a trip to that factory and see how it forms and the travel to the store.

Another fun thing is to attempt to make your own toothpaste- mostly a baking soda formula. I had my son try homemade toothpaste when he was being a typical-difficult toddler. He hated it- obviously! So when the fruity toothpaste was offered again, he didn’t think twice and easily accepted it.

Most day care and preschool facilities require a dental record at age three. Have you signed up for an appointment yet? To practice, start taking your young one to sit on your lap for your routine 6-month check up. Get them familiarized with the facility, chair, lights and sounds they may hear. And of course- the doctors that wear masks! Most places will pass on FREE masks, toothbrushes, gloves and other items that you can take home. Add this gear to your imagination/dramatic play area at home to reenact a dentist trip. Literature is another way to start pre-teaching about the experience. The more information you can provide prior to the experience, the more comfortable your child may be when the event occurs. Don’t forget CHOOSY’s “BRUSH MY SMILE” short clip that coincides with the music. Watch a neighborhood friend “put a little on the middle of his brush”, brush during certain times of the day and have the happy healthy smile check-up from the dentist.

There are also two dental hygiene activities that I look forward to each year with my students. A little messy, but FUN! Painting. But not just any painting, use a toothbrush as your paint brush! Grab a piece of paper and just free paint using watercolor, tempera paint or even toothpaste. Draw a smile or some teeth if necessary, and “whiten” them up.

The other requires two HARD BOILED white eggs, milk, cola soda, toothbrush, tooth paste and two bowls or cups (clear if possible). After boiling the eggs, place one egg in a container with milk and the other in a container with cola. Let them sit (covered or uncovered) in the refrigerator over night. The next day, see how the eggs change color- just as if you have unhealthy food and drink how your teeth enamel will alter. Use toothpaste on your toothbrush and gently attempt to brush away the stains on the eggs (light pressure, but hard boiled eggs are better than non-hardboiled eggs!). Great before and after teeth science!

However you practice your dental hygiene, just take a moment in the month of February to check in on your healthy routine- and don’t rush!

How did you encourage your children to brush their teeth? How old were they when they finally made it a daily routine without your reminders?

About the Author: Hello! I have been teaching for about 10 years now, ages Pre-K through 8th grade…needless to say, I am a life-long learner and always looking for new thing to challenge my body and brain to do in a classroom! Outside of the classroom, family comes first! My husband Dan, baby Marshall and basset hound Penelope enjoy my naturally caffeinated personality on a regular basis. The whole family enjoys traveling, and I personally have a goal of visiting all 7 continents! 2 more to go! 

First Comes Brushing, Then Comes Flossing!

By: Amy Requa, MSN, CRNP

We have all heard about the key elements to excellent oral health and hygiene for young children: brushing their teeth twice a day, before bed and after breakfast, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste on a soft child-sized toothbrush; providing tooth-healthy drinks, such as water, instead of sugary beverages; flossing between teeth as soon as you see that they are touching each other; and taking your child for regular check-ups starting when the first tooth erupts. We’ve discussed creating good brushing habits with your children and starting regular check-ups when their first tooth appears, but what happens after they have been seen by the dentist and are on the way to mastering daily dental routines? 

On one of our recent posts, a mom mentioned that her little one likes to dip his/her toothbrush into a cup of mouthwash and rinse with that. It got me thinking, as I am sure many children would love to do that. What does it do to their teeth/mouth? Is it safe? 

The instructions on the label of mouthwashes is that children under six should not use the product. This is likely due to the fact that many, but not all, mouthwashes have a form of alcohol in their liquid and it is not safe to be swallowed in large amounts. This is something you will want to discuss with your child’s dentist. There’s no need to wait for your child’s next dental visit, just pick up the phone and call your dentist and ask for current recommendations! 

Also, it is important to understand that any ingredient that limits our normal production of saliva will actually be counterproductive and can even lead to more decay of our teeth. Saliva is very beneficial because it has a buffering effect on the “acid attack,” composed of acid waste products that are created when the bacteria in our mouths digest sugars and carbohydrates.

If your children are anxious to start copying your mouth washing techniques, my suggestion is to teach them how to floss instead. Flossing between two teeth that are touching is helpful because it breaks down the build-up of plaque between the teeth, which is essential to do because the toothbrush bristles cannot get in-between the teeth that are tightly spaced. It is important to help children with flossing because they do not have the manual dexterity to floss by themselves until they can write cursive. Be sure to move the floss gently under the gum line, where the germs causing decay are more likely to grow because that is where it’s dark and warm. The gum line is also where there are leftover food particles hanging out (which the germs love to eat). Flossing between our own teeth and our child’s teeth on a daily basis will disrupt the plaque traps and prevent the germs from building up. By demonstrating flossing between our own teeth on a daily basis, our children will want to copy us. 

The manufactured “flossers” for children are very helpful because they are easier to grasp for small fingers and they fit into small mouths more easily, plus they are colorful and animated looking! 

Have your children tried flossing? What age did they start? Remember to check out Choosy Kids CD and DVD collection for brushing songs and videos!

About the Author: Amy Requa, MSN, CRNP, CPNP-PC, is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She has 20 years of experience in public health nursing, maternal and child health, family and community health promotion and has extensive health expertise in oral health, childhood obesity prevention and child nutrition. Click here to learn more about Amy.