I’ve always been quite vigilant when it comes to Beastie’s teeth and try my hardest to make sure that his teeth are being brushed regularly and effectively. As a nurse I have treated children that have had to have their teeth removed due to poor diet and oral hygiene. It’s very sad to see very young children having to undergo general anaesthetic to have rotten teeth removed. When children’s milk teeth first come through it can be quite a challenge to get them to even put a toothbrush near their mouths, let alone allow you to brush their teeth but it is important to be patient with them. Teaching your child the importance of regular brushing as part of their daily routine well help protect their teeth into adulthood.
I use an electric toothbrush myself and I feel there is no comparison with how well they clean your teeth compared to manual brushes. I’ve used them for years and I think they are worth spending the extra money on for the sake of looking after your dental health well. I have been known to have a toothbrush for Christmas and I would certainly spend money on the new colgate proclinical electric toothbrush. I always get advised by my dentist that I brush too hard in places which is wearing down my gums, so the smart sensors on this brush really are a very clever feature.
For this reason I wanted to be able to introduce an electric one to my son for him to use and get into good habits for the future. There was the usual challenges with Beastie, where he initially refused to cooperate and brushing time would involve lots of frustration and defiance. Using my toothbrush was actually a turning point for Beastie as he used to want to try out mine whilst watching me clean my teeth.
He has various battery powered brushes that didn’t last very long, despite being able to change the batteries a couple of times, the bristles on the head of the brushes never lasted very long and had to be thrown away. I wanted to get him his own rechargeable toothbrush that wouldn’t need replacing and where I could buy new heads as and when they were needed.
I quickly realised that the key to his compliance was making it fun for him. Using an electric brush was a lot less effort for him and he wanted to mimic what how I cleaned my teeth. Tickly noses from the vibrations of the oscilating brush and a timer all make for fun distractions from what can be a tedious task, particularly in the morning when we’re always in a hurry.
Now he absolutely loves his themed toothbrush that is his very own version of mine and now he insists on putting the toothpaste on the brush himself. In fact, if I help he gets quite irritated with me. I think I won the battle this time.
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