To celebrate the release of new survey by Oral-B , London Mums is giving five lucky readers the chance to win one Oral-B Kids Power Electric Toothbrush of their child’s choice – with characters from either Disney’s Cars, Frozen or Star Wars. Each brush is valued at £34.99 and removes more plaque than a manual toothbrush.
For your chance to win one of these products, write the name of your favourite one (Frozen, Star Wars, Cars) in the competition form below this post. Deadline to enter is midnight on 20 November 2017.
Recent research has revealed approximately 25% of five-year-olds experience tooth decay in England and that establishing good oral care habits is a primary concern for parents. With 90% of tooth decay being preventable through better oral health, it means regular dentist visits, consuming nutritionally-balanced meals, and using the right products are a must.
As a result, Oral-B Smile Director and Clinical Director of the London Dental Group, Dr Uchenna Okoye, has provided some fun and useful tips to help parents keep on top of their children’s oral health, whilst keeping them interested at the same time.
Little Ones (0-3 years old)
- Dental Visits Start Early: There can be some confusion around when to bring your child to the dentist, but the recommendation is to schedule an appointment as soon as their first tooth appears, usually around 6 months of age[i]. After that, you should continue to take your children as often as your dental professional recommends.
- Lead by Example: Kids will naturally want to take over brushing and do it for themselves, which is an exciting step. A great way to transition the brushing responsibility is for you to first brush their teeth showing the proper technique, and then hand over the brush to let them practice and do it for themselves. But they’re not going to be a brushing expert right away and don’t expect them to stick to 2 minutes without encouragement – keep supervising their brushing, sometimes even to the age of 10[ii].
School-Aged (3-12 years old)
- Food for Thought: Make sure your child is eating a healthy breakfast every morning; it will improve energy and concentration, helping them have a more productive day[iii]. Monitor what’s available on the lunchtime menu at school and discuss the healthier options with your child to limit snacking on sugary foods and drinks throughout the day. Or your can take control of lunch and pack your children a healthy lunchbox with a good mix of starches, veggies, protein and some fruit.
- Offer FUN Choices: Have plenty of oral care supplies on hand for your kids, and make sure they are in the flavors and designs they’ll be excited to use. Characters help unlock a child’s imagination and can keep them focused on doing routine tasks[iv] – and when they enjoy something, they’re more likely to stick with it!
In light of Dr Uchenna Okoye’s last point, Oral B have decided to turn brushing into fun with its NEW electrical toothbrush range that’s in collaboration with Disney. The Oral-B Kids Power Electric Toothbrushes (3+), as well as the Disney Magic Timer App feature a selection of famous characters.
[i] Public Health England. A quick guide to a healthy mouth in children. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/601834/healthy_mouth_children_quick_guide.pdf
[ii] European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry. August 2013, Volume 14, Issue 4, pp 213–219. Evaluation of the tooth brushing skills in children aged 6–12 years. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40368-013-0046-3
[iii] Front Hum Neurosci. 2013; 7: 425. The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737458/
[iv] MINTEL: Lifestyles of Mums – U.K. May 2016 report. 34% of mums indicate that products featuring well-known characters encourage their children to pay closer attention to their hygiene, such as brushing their teeth.