Brush, Brush

OMG, kamusta na si Paula Abdul?

But I am not here to reminisce about her, the 90s, Keanu Reeves and the Griffith Observatory. I am here to share with you our pediatric dentist's tips on how to properly brush our kids' teeth.

See, I just came from our pediatric dentist for Berry's check-up, and I got Xavi to tag along. 

Dr. Mayee looked at Xavi's teeth and while he didn't have any cleaning done yet, she taught me how to brush Xavi's teeth. 

Might as well share it here, so I don't forget, and we all learn a little something when it comes to oral hygiene: First things first. FIRST dental visit on the FIRST birthday. That said,

1. Brush at least two times (2x) a day. Make sure to brush all surfaces. Front, back and sides.

2. Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste for kids 3 and below. A pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste for kids 3 years old and up.

this is what a smear of toothpaste looks like

Dr. Mayee recommends using an adult toothpaste with at least 1000 ppm of fluoride. She does not recommend using kiddie toothpastes or unfluoridated toothpastes especially if the child is high risk for cavities.

3. For kids below 6 or 7, just do the brushing for them. Make sure to lift lip (as in with your fingers) and brush teeth and gums.

At 6 or 7, children can brush on their own, with  supervision. By 8 or 9, they can floss on their own.

4.  Allow to spit and NO rinsing with water after brushing. Yes, you read that right. NO RINSING. 

I would often watch people on TV who would brush and spit and not rinse, and I thought that was weird. Turns out, they were doing it right the entire time! This is one of those, you've been brushing your teeth the wrong way your entire life moments.

5. This should be coupled with flossing, and visits to the dentist every six (6) months.

Incidentally, have you read about this article on Jews News? Apparently, we can totally fight cavities. 

I am currently doing oil pulling, one of the tips recommended in the article, which basically entails swishing oil in my mouth for like the longest twenty minutes of my life. Let's see how effective it is, when I visit my dentist in 5 months!