With Christmas fast approaching, our oral health experts, Sabina, Gemma, Kim, Angela, and Helena recommend some tooth-friendly stocking fillers to delight and inform children, whilst also encouraging them on the journey to a lifetime of regular toothbrushing and good oral health habits:
Every young child loves a ‘lift the flap’ book. This engaging illustrated book by Katie Daynes is part of Usbourne’s popular early learning series. It not only answers the important questions around tooth brushing, but lots of fascinating other tooth related ones too, such as “Why don’t animals have toothbrushes?’ and ‘why do baby teeth fall out?’ With over 30 flaps to lift, and plenty of playful, easy to understand text, your kids will have fun while they learn.
Eco-friendly, biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes are a simple way to introduce your children to good oral and sustainable habits. It’s estimated that 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used worldwide every year, and each one can take up to a thousand years to decompose. Most end up in landfill, on our beaches, and in our oceans where they are a hazard to marine life. For more information, and a list of recommended brands, visit Dentaly.org, the oral health portal.
Fossils are a great way to get children interested in teeth – particularly if they are shark’s teeth! The National Geographic Shark Teeth Dig Kit lets children dig up and explore fossils from three different species of shark. With a full-colour learning guide full of amazing shark facts and pictures, kids will have a blast while they identify the teeth of the sand tiger, otodus, and crow sharks, and learn all about what make sharks the ocean’s most feared predators.
Electric toothbrushes do an excellent job of removing plaque from children’s teeth and improving gum health, while making brushing less of a chore. Brushes featuring action heroes and other film favourites will help to grab their interest, while built-in timers encourage them to brush for the full two minutes. Modern smart brushes appeal to their competitive streak by enabling you track performance and unlock rewards for good brushing. Whatever you choose, make sure the handle is easy to grip and that the head size and bristles are appropriate for their age.
Drinking water after eating dilutes the acid in young mouths, helping to prevent tooth decay and a fun new water bottle is a good way to encourage your kids to do so. Which?, the UK’s consumer champion, recently put 12 kids water bottles to the test. Among the ‘Editor’s Choice’ was the Tince Tonkin drinks bottle, available in a range of sizes and colours and complete with alien motif. It was also the clear favourite of the five-year-old boy tester, who said its “easy to drink out of, I like the way it locks, and I like the button that makes the lid flip. I also like the alien.”
