Focus Nutrition to bring you some teeth brushing tips for toddlers! I have been provided with products to facilitate my post but all thoughts are my own!
When Should You Start Brushing Your Child’s Teeth?
When it comes to caring for little teeth, you can start brushing as soon as they come in but be sure to use appropriate supplies: a baby/infant toothbrush to start. You can brush with water until they turn 2. Some toothpaste brands make toothpaste especially for young toddlers that is safe if swallowed. Remember with only a couple teeth they only need a teeny tiny amount, about the size of a grain of rice. When Andrew was little, we read The Big Night Night Book to him every night. It’s an adorable touch and feel board book that details a little one’s bedtime routine. One of the pages mentions teeth brushing. This got him excited so that when it was time to start brushing his teeth, he knew it was just like the book. He was a stickler for his bedtime routine and would even let us know if we forgot to brush his teeth, it was SO cute! Of course, while they are little you basically just have them open their mouth, say, “Ahhh,” and brush for them. We let him pick out a cute toothbrush from the store with a character on it. He was easy! Aidan was the same way. Even when he was just one, he saw his big brother brushing his teeth and wanted to be a big boy, too. I lost track of how many times I caught him sneaking into the bathroom to grab someone’s toothbrush and brush his teeth. He would ask us to “brushy teeth,” as if it was his favorite hobby!
What if Your Child is Afraid, Nervous, or Otherwise Doesn’t Want to Brush Their Teeth?
The great thing about kids is there’s always a lesson out there somewhere with characters they can relate to. With the Internet, we have access to endless libraries of videos that are quite helpful and entertaining for kids. If your child can’t get excited from you, an older sibling, or a book–try finding a video. Daniel Tiger’s Life Little Lessons, a DVD by PBS is great for teaching toddlers! So many cute lessons and always a little song to accompany the lesson that is just perfect for kids to remember. If your kids are allowed to watch videos, this is a great way to teach them a lesson about a new skill through a character they can relate to and already trust.
Here are a couple of videos on YouTube that our kids LOVED about teeth brushing:
Upgrading to Toddler/Preschooler Toothpaste:
When your child is two years old, you can begin introducing toothpaste. There are many options to choose from. I personally try to choose fluoride-free options for my kids because I had somewhat of a reaction to fluoride as a child and I don’t want to cause my children the reaction I had (throwing up). I’m not a perfect organic mama, but I do try to use certain products that are all natural when it comes to important items for my kids. We started using Tom’s natural toothpaste (Silly Strawberry–lots of other fun flavors available, too!) and both the boys LOVE it. It’s all-natural, fluoride-free, dye-free, gentle cleaning, cruelty-free, and it tastes great, too!
One AMAZING Eco-friendly Toothbrush That Kills Germs:
A local company, Focus Nutrition, recently sent our family a pack of toothbrushes to use for this post. I was so impressed with these brushes and let me tell you why. They are NOT your average toothbrush. What they do is actually really, really cool. The Children’s EcoFam Compostable Toothbrush with Anti-Microbial Bristles is the FIRST 100% eco-friendly toothbrush with silver-infused, anti-microbial bristles. Sounds fancy, right? What it actually does is helps to eliminate germs. I SO WISH we had these during flu season last year and you can bet your pants I will be stocking up for this winter! Focus Nutrition’s independent lab results shows that EcoFam toothbrushes can kill up to 99% of microbes on your bristles in between brushes. That means you can help protect your family from disease-carrying microbes that can live in your toothbrushes for days.. This is great for toddlers who may use each other’s toothbrushes interchangeably and just for general health. These awesome toothbrushes last for the standard life of a toothbrush (Dentists recommend replacing every 3 months or so) and the handles are compostable! You can buy a two-pack of Children’s Anti-Microbial toothbrushes for only $9.58 (choose from green and blue combo or pink and purple). You can also get a 4-pack or a 12-pack in an assortment of each of the four colors! Adult Anti-Microbial toothbrushes are also available!
Be sure to check out Focus Nutrition and learn more about their great products!
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Focus Nutrition and I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. All thoughts are my own and I only share about products I truly like and use for my own family. Some links above may contain affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small portion of that transaction which helps support this blog and bring you more great content! ]]>
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