We’re Taking the Listerine® Oral Care Challenge! #HealthyHabits

As a mom of three children, having good oral hygiene is very important to me. It’s especially important to my husband for the simple fact that his mother was a dental hygienist for over twenty years.  So it’s no surprise that we were beyond excited about joining The Motherhood in taking the Listerine® Oral Care Challenge for the next three weeks along with other bloggers around the blogosphere.

We have been Listerine® users for many years.  There’s no other mouthwash we use in our household.  I strongly believe that it’s the main reason we have no cavities, although sometimes I do forget to brush at night. I know, I know. It’s gross but I can’t help it. Sometimes I knock out on the sofa after dinner from exhaustion.

Did you know that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth?

It’s true! And what’s more alarming is that we can have more germs in mouths than there are people on earth! Holy smokes! That’s exactly why it’s very important to keep our mouths healthy by flossing, brushing AND rinsing every day.

I have a ritual every morning.  After I take a shower, I spend about 6 minutes on my mouth.  I start off by flossing all my teeth.  After flossing, I rinse once with water than move on to Listerine® Antiseptic mouthwash, where I gargle for about 30 seconds to a minute.  Right after rinsing, I brush my teeth for approximately two minutes and I’m done.  Sometimes I use the after brushing rinse but it leaves a weird taste in my mouth when it’s time for my coffee.  I can’t be without my coffee!

FACT: Nearly 75% of American adults suffer from various forms of gum disease and don’t know it.

I am proof that my ritual works wonders. After not visiting a dentist for almost 8 years (which I do not recommend!), my dentist found absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth. No cavities, no plaque – nothing but goodness. He was quite surprised to know that it had been years since my last visit to the dentist.

Here’s another fact: February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

It’s another reason we are happy to take on this challenge.  To instill good oral care habits in your children, don’t tell them – show them!  My kids have seen me taking care of my teeth during my daily ritual and most of the time, they follow. Every once in awhile, they get lazy and forget but I quickly remind them of grandma – my mother.  She, on the other hand, wears dentures caused by bad oral hygiene, unfortunately. Thank goodness as a child, she made sure I didn’t follow in her footsteps.

Thanks to The Motherhood for sending us a box full of goodies from Listerine® and Reach® products.  We are on our way to a fabulous and clean challenge!

Photobucket
My six year old was especially excited about her new Barbie Smart Rinse and her new Barbie Reach Toothbrush.  Look at her flossing, brushing and rinsing away those nasty germs!

Photobucket
We are now on a mission to cleaner and less “germy” mouths!

How does Listerine® work?

LISTERINE® Fights Germs with Essential Oils

The power of LISTERINE® Antiseptic comes from a formula of four essential oils that kill millions of germs on contact. Our fixed combination of eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate, and thymol continues to deliver unsurpassed results. No other branded mouthwash has this formula. And that’s why no other mouthwash feels or works like LISTERINE®.
LISTERINE® Penetrates Plaque Biofilm and Kills Germs

Biofilm is a more recent term for the bacterial film on your teeth we call plaque. Biofilm is an organized community of germs in a gooey matrix that enables them to multiply and survive inside your mouth. Brushing and flossing help disrupt and remove this biofilm, but sometimes may miss hard to reach areas—prime real estate for gingivitis causing germs. LISTERINE® Antiseptic rapidly penetrates the biofilm to kill plaque and gingivitis germs.

Here are some tips for engaging kids early in oral care:

Ages 6-7:  Show, don’t tell — When leading by example, kids are likely to imitate behavior and make oral hygiene feel less like a “kid thing.”

Ages 8-10: Clean to the beat — Play music to help kids enjoy oral care routines. Remember, brushing should last two minutes and rinsing should last about 60 seconds. Together, these activities last the length of a typical song.

Ages 11-12: Recruit others — Enlist older siblings and other family members to encourage proper oral hygiene. Another voice can be both influential and powerful!

Come and take the Oral Care Challenge with us by visiting www.walmart.com to access tips from leading dental experts along with finding some great values and prices on oral care products.

For more healthy tips, follow the hashtag #HealthyHabits on Twitter for loads of information.

Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge.  All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

 

Comments

  1. I really like the Listerine looks, especially that one with Fineas on it. It’s great that at an early age your kids are already aware about the importance of flossing and rinsing to oral hygiene, not only brushing the teeth. Love the sticker touch to it.

Speak Your Mind

*

CommentLuv badge