Even the most seasoned parents are susceptible to blunders. We are human after all, but regardless of how long you’ve been in the parenting game. There are some pitfalls you might want to avoid when it comes to caring for your kiddos teeth.
Today I’m going to share some of the major brushing mistakes that you can easily be avoided when creating an oral health routine for your family that will keep you on the road for success, check the link on the home page to learn more about my Bristle Brushing Basics Box, it has all the tools you need to achieve happy healthy smiles. and comes with videos on how to use everything in the box
And by the way, I post a blog like this every single week so be sure to subscribe.
Brushing mistake number #1,
You pick the wrong toothbrush and this is one that I have suffered from, and that I hope that you can learn from my mistakes.
Finding the right toothbrush may not be top on your to-do list. It may not be something you even think about, and that’s okay you may have to try a few before you find the one that works best for you or a loved one.
The size of the brush’s head is important, especially if you are working with a smaller mouth.
Brushes have various sizes of heads, handles, and different angles. The critical part is the bristles remove the bacteria and loosen plaque from your teeth and gums that can cause gum disease and lead to tooth decay.
Some people think that the harder the bristles are, the better they’ll clean. Soft bristles are very effective at removing plaque below the gumline, hard bristles actually can wear down your tooth structure. Especially if you are a scrubber.
Then there is the electric vs Manual debate. With a manual brush, you can get around 300 strokes per minute. With an electric, you get 33,000 strokes per minute. If you have been following me you know I am a burst ambassador I recommend the Burst Brush. I will put the link below if you would like more information and about the Burst brush watch my video“Why I like the burst brush”
When you find a good toothbrush that you love, sometimes it’s hard to give it up.
Which brings us to Brushing mistake # 2
Holding on to a toothbrush for too long
A toothbrush loses its superpowers when the bristles are worn out. So we recommend changing it when you see that the bristles — become frayed, bent, or it is looking more like a scrub brush than a toothbrush — it’s time to chuck the brush at least every 3 to 4 months.
Also, it’s smart not to share your brush with anyone else. You don’t know what type of bacteria they have. Sharing a toothbrush shares the bacteria too.
You want to store your toothbrush, keeping it in a place where it can dry between brushings to keep mold or bacteria from growing on it when it’s wet.
Brushing mistake number #3
You forget to brush along the gum line.
Bacteria love to hang out where your tooth meets your gum. We miss that area a lot. Which is why one out of two people have gingivitis.
“You have about one – three millimeters of gum tissue that is like a mote around your tooth, you want to get under there, clean out the plaque bacteria and leftover from lunch, if you angle your toothbrush correctly it can get about 2 or 3 millimeters, right under the gum, that is why the bristle needs to be soft.
Brushing your teeth, it turns out, means brushing your whole tooth. Or at least everything you can get to with your brush. And that includes just below the gum.
“We spend more time brushing on the chewing surface and we don’t really get down along the gum line, it’s one of the most common missed areas I see when cleaning teeth.
It’s not tough.
Use the proper angle. “We normally recommend you angle the brush at a 45-degree angle against the gum line, so the toothbrush bristles can sweep under the gum line.
Remember the tongue-side. Oh yeah. Everybody gets the outside of their teeth, the part people can see. And everybody brushes the chewing surfaces, too.
The inside, we call the tongue-side? Not so much.
“Most people don’t brush the tongue side of the teeth. “It’s very easy to tell. You get a line of inflammation. Not to mention the debris that sits there and becomes what we call calculus.” and that is where we see the most bleeding.
Don’t forget to brush your tongue, too. That’ll get rid of bacteria that cause bad breath
Brushing mistake number #4
Letting your kiddos brush by themselves and not following behind to get where they miss.
Listen, I know you are busy, I get it, I’ve been there, you may be in a hurry to get out the door in the morning or get the kiddos tucked in at night. Regardless, of the reason you should be aware of the impact of letting your kids brush their teeth by themselves may have long term.
I never want you to have Mom guilt or get comfortable with feeling like they’ve got this on their own. Kids consistently miss the outsides of the upper teeth and the insides of the lower. So if you’re short on time, after they brush go back in and brush those areas for them. If you just let them keep going in this cycle without a system in place not realizing they are missing spots you allow the plaque and bacteria to weaken the enamel causing decay.
One of the things that I speak about in my healthy mouth movement is how you are your own health care advocate as a leader of your family, you are going to be the indisputable undeniable coach, you are someone that defends your children more than anybody else. So when you look at what you are doing, How can you make a difference? How can you impact your child’s routine? You can do a better job than they can?
One of the other things I speak about is modeling… your kids want to be like you. Well at least Until they are teenagers. So if they see you brush they will want to brush too, make it something fun you can do together as a family. and create memories that last a lifetime
The biggest thing for you to understand is, you are creating a lifetime of habits for your kiddos that you teach them now they carry on for life. you’re also creating the habits your kids will teach your grandkids, you’re going to be creating a routine your children will then continue and pass down to their children. I have a feeling that you probably don’t have any idea how you learned to brush your teeth, you just do it. Most people don’t even remember who taught them how to brush. So when they teach their kids there is no intention or explanation as to why kids should brush their teeth except so they don’t get cavities they threaten the dentist and cavities which creates a fear of going to the dentist. So in trying to avoid the dentist they wait until they are in pain. So I want to encourage you to step up your game and pay attention to what your kiddos are doing. Most tooth brushing habits don’t evolve and you don’t get direct feedback on how you are doing.
Brushing mistake number #5,
Not checking to see where they are missing. Let me tell you when I first brushed my daughters’ teeth, I thought this is going to be fun, I am a dental professional, no one can brush like I can, the way I do. Brushing your kids’ teeth is nothing like cleaning someone’s teeth at the office. I need a dental chair and a light to see what I am doing. So when you think to yourself they’ve got this… think again.one of the biggest limiting beliefs, you could ever have as a parent and I want you to take that out of your brain right now,k is thinking your kids are doing a good job brushing so you don’t need to be checking.
For your kiddos here is where you step into your zone of genius. Using something to stain the teeth to see what areas are getting missed when brushing is key to getting all the surfaces clean and preventing the dreaded cavities.
So ask yourself what is the one thing that would actually show your kids how they are doing that can have the biggest effect. Disclosing. Seeing is believing Self-care for both you and your family and taking the time to check to see where you are missing is a game-changer. So another thing for you to consider is when you see the stain on the teeth use how it is to get all of the plaque off.
It is not realistic to think you can stain the teeth every time you brush, which should be twice a day. What do we have to do to accomplish our goals when it comes to brushing… It’s about routine, morning and night. Pick a time when you know you will have time to stain the teeth and you won’t be yelling at the kids to hurry up.
The biggest thing that you can do for your kids is to have a clear picture of what you need to accomplish and create routines and habits that work with your schedules. This is going to be an absolute game-changer for your family.
Last but not least, Brushing Mistake number #6
Arguing about toothpaste
This was a bigger problem than I realized until I started working with more parents.
My daughter has sensory issues which I did not know until she was older. We fought about using toothpaste. She would spit it out at me and cry. There were days I would say scream louder so I could get the back teeth. I am a dental professional. I was taught brush floss uses fluid toothpaste and we had well water to boot.
I tried 10 different kinds of toothpaste before I realized that was a battle I did not need to fight. I don’t wish that struggle on anyone. The solution doesn’t use toothpaste.
The toothpaste was on her teeth for two minutes then we rinse and spit so the fluoride in the toothpaste is not even on there long enough to make a difference. The moral of this story you don’t have to use toothpaste. What you do need to do is brush all the surfaces of the teeth and check to see where you are missing.
You are going to make your fair share of mistakes as a parent, but thanks to this video you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls that parents experience when it comes to caring for their child’s teeth.
And if you want, even more, in-depth videos and the tools I recommend for proper brushing, be sure to check out the link below to get my Bristle brushing basics box. Thanks so much for reading this blog comment below and subscribe for more weekly blogs.
Click below to download my free six simple steps to end toothbrushing struggles
https://brushingwithbristles.com/6simplesteps
