Your 1 Year Old Toddler Week 33
With All the Crap Toddlers Put in Their Mouths, A Tooth Brush Isn’t One of Them
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You would think that since kids at this age love to put all kinds of crap in their mouths they would be totally psyched to brush their teeth. Guess again! Those pearly whites in your child’s mouth need to be brushed and unfortunately, most kids need to be enticed to do it.
Turning teeth brushing time into a game will dramatically cut down on the…dramatics. Play a song during brushing time, brush your teeth at the same time to get your kid to mirror your actions, buy that cartoon-themed spinning brush, get excited about spitting in the sink, or give your child a special stool to stand on at the sink to help to convince him to brush his teeth.
You can cut down on the chances of cavities by giving your child only water in a sippy cup during the day and leaving the snacks, juice, or milk for mealtime. Any time food is introduced, the human body produces acids in the mouth as part of the digestive process to break down proteins; that acid eats away at tooth enamel and causes cavities.
Scary Mommy Tip: Yeah, we know, sometimes life happens and you forget to brush your child’s teeth. Sometimes dinner is a Happy Meal. And sometimes bedtime is two hours late or you ran out of give-a-damns about the sugar content of that juice box. You just do the best you can and love your child with all your might.
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