Getting my kids to brush their teeth can be a battle, and I am skeptical of apps that promise to make brushing “fun”, but I can tell you truthfully that these two apps seriously DO work (even with my three year old!). Read more on how to take the drudgery out of the two minutes twice a day routine.
Two minutes can seem like a long time in kid hours, and how many of us can say that we stand there and time our children’s teeth brushing sessions twice a day to ensure they’re brushing the recommended two minutes?
The truth is, kids should be brushing for at least two minutes, but no matter how long they are brushing it won’t make a difference if they aren’t brushing the right way. Take some time to make sure they are doing a good job with their brush and give them some tips and pointers. It’s a good idea to check in with them to make sure they aren’t slacking on the job once in a while too, since the routine of brushing can make our habits become a little lazy sometimes. A good rule of thumb is to brush outer and inner tooth surfaces, back molars, and your tongue, and suggest kids start at a different point each time rather than the same old routine.
Now for the apps! First, the Oral B Disney Magic Timer app will have your kids rushing to brush every day. The app features twenty-three Disney, Marvel and Star Wars characters and kids collect a new digital sticker after each successful two minutes of brushing. They can track progress with stars and milestone badges on the Brushing Calendar. Just download the app and help kids set up their brushing log. They can then scan any Crest or Oral-B Pro-Health Stages product and choose their character (Frozen and Star Wars reign supreme in our house). Music plays and the timer help keeps kids on track to help them complete the full two minutes.
The second featured app is Brusheez – The Little Monsters Toothbrush Timer. With this app kids can pick their brushing pal and make them jump, flip, giggle, wiggle, gasp and go dizzy! They can change the colors of the hair, pajamas and toothbrush to customize their pal and they can even turn each tooth “on or off” to match what baby teeth they have lost so they have a matching smile.