Four minutes.
Four minutes a day is all it takes to keep our mouths healthy.
As a mom, I can attest to the frustration that is involved with getting kids to brush their teeth. It starts when they are little, and they kick and scream before letting you pry their mouths open to scrub off they day’s meals from their teeth. As they get older and take on the job themselves, toothbrushing becomes a lightning-fast activity, nearly obsolete and truly inefficient.
It’s amazing how much oral health is linked to our overall health. Healthy teeth leads to a healthy body. Yet, we don’t take it nearly as seriously as we should. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental related illness, resulting in parents losing 25 million work hours annually. Cavities and oral infections can cause severe pain and can increase a child’s risk for dental issues and poor health throughout their lives. In a recent report, 3 out of 4 parents report that their kids sometimes (or frequently) forget to brush their teeth.
As much as I enjoy sneaking candy brought in by trick-or-treating, I cannot ignore the health factor. Or, rather, lack thereof. I know my kids love candy, but with every little bar they bite into, they are slathering their teeth with increased sugar. With such a candy-centric holiday, I am grateful for the The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives and the Ad Council’s National Brush Day.
November 1 (the day after Halloween) is National Brush Day. This national campaign is working to promote good tooth-brushing habits. On this day, oral health and good dental habits will be reinforced, including the habit of brushing 2 times per day for 2 minutes.
I know. Two minutes to kids is an eternity. Most young kids cannot sit still for one minute let alone two! I can’t wait to turn to the website 2min2x.org, which offers fun resources such as 2-minute videos that kids can watch while they brush their teeth to ensure they’ve scrubbed their pearly whites long enough! How genius is this? They also have the Toothsavers App that has fun games and rewards for brushing your teeth.With these resources, I know my kids will associate oral health with fun and learn good tooth-brushing habits.
For more resources check out 2min2x.org!
How do YOU promote good oral health at home?
