Cavity-free Kids

I am so fortunate that my kids have not had any cavities yet (knock-on-wood) But, Allie is only 6 and Macsen is just 2 1/2 so we still have lots of time for that to change...however, here are a few things I do to help keep their teeth cavity-free:

1. Try to limit the sugary candy that stays on teeth a long time (think sticky and gummy candy like Swedish fish, Jolly ranchers, etc...)  I really am not a sugar Nazi and we pretty much have candy and sweets at all times in our house, but I try to make sure they don't eat it ALL day and especially not right before bed.  And, if they eat these candies that stay stuck to teeth I try to get them to brush their teeth before too long.



2. Make brushing teeth fun.  This has NOT been hard for me, as my kids LOVE brushing their teeth- weirdos.  But, for those normal kids that are not very excited about it, I would suggest these great toothbrushes called Firefly Ready Go Brush, or the Light-up Timer Toothbrush.  These are great to make sure they are brushing long enough too- you can learn more about them here, and get them at Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, Meijer Stores, Drugstore.com and Amazon.com.

3. Make brushing teeth a habit and part of your routine.  Allie brushes her teeth in the morning right before school, then at night during our nightly routine just right before or after reading scriptures and saying prayers. Often she remembers to do it herself, but most of the time I just remind her and she doesn't argue about it too much :)  Macsen always joins her too!

4. Start kids young by giving them a toothbrush during bath time.  My kids have mostly really loved bath time...especially when they were getting their first teeth.  So, as they were taking their baths I would give them their toothbrushes and let them use them by themselves.  I don't know if the independence is what made them like to brush their teeth more or not, and they may not get every spot every time they brush, but at least it isn't a battle.  In fact, they often brush their teeth in the middle of the day for no reason- like I said, weirdos :)

I hope that these tips might help some of you struggling to get your kids excited about dental hygiene, especially after Easter and all the candy and sweets they are around right now.  I also have to add that my kids and I have been blessed with really good teeth, so just because my kids haven't had cavities doesn't mean they have perfect dental hygiene and it definitely is not my parenting either!  Good luck!