 Alrighty, mamas! Since our visit to the dentist, I have compiled a simple list of 7 things that you can do to ensure optimal dental health for your kiddos. A special thanks to my partner, Jubilee Dental Group, for making our dentist visit easy and stress-free, for getting our teeth squeaky clean and for getting our dental habits back on track! Here we go...  1. Visit a family-friendly dentist, like Jubilee Dental Group, every six months. Family-friendly dentists make it easy for the entire family to have their dental work done all in one swoop. Not only that, but in the case of Jubilee Dental, the staff is highly trained in working with children, and offers toys and special goodie bags at the end of each appointment. Neither one of my kids had any tears during their appointments; in fact, they loved visiting the dentist, especially after receiving their special toys, and look forward to our next visit - which is key! 2. Brush teeth 2x per day. Brushing in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after the last meal of the day is important for the removal of bacteria and to strengthen enamel of teeth.  3. Use a fluoride containing toothpaste. Yes, there is controversy around fluoride, especially fluoride found in kid's toothpaste, but the best way to prevent cavities and to ensure oral health is through the use of fluoride containing toothpaste. Look for a toothpaste that is ADA (American Dental Association) Approved. This ensures that the correct amount of fluoride is included in the toothpaste (not too much and not too little). FYI: only flouride-containg toothpaste is included in ADA-Approved toothpastes, so any other toothpaste that doesn't contain fluoride will not be approved. The key with fluoride-containing toothpaste is to ensure that you are not using too much toothpaste in each brushing session, especially when it comes to brushing your children's teeth. The ADA recommends only a "smear" of toothpaste, generally the size of a grain of rice, to ensure that kids are not overdoing it on the fluoride. When the child reaches the age of three, you can increase the size of the toothpaste to pea size. My favorite ADA recommended toothpaste here. 4. Store toothbrushes upright, or standing up. A great idea is to invest in a toothbrush holder! Recommended holder here.  5. Replace toothbrushes ever three months, and do not allow kiddos to share toothbrushes. The mouth is home to roughly 700 species of bacteria and sharing toothbrushes can spread this bacteria. 6. Brush teeth for two minutes. Amazon's Alexa has a fun feature in which she will play a song that lasts the duration of how long a child should brush their teeth for (two minutes). Or, invest in a teeth-brushing timer. Recommended toothbrush timer (and holder) here. 7. Clean toothbrushes after every use. Simply rinse toothbrush with warm water and allow the toothbrush to dry by standing it upright in an open-air location. 7. Floss once per day. Using kid's flossers can make flossing a lot easier. Here are my favorites here.  That's all for now! Happy brushing and flossing, mamas! xx, Brooke
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