So we come to the age old question; why do we have to brush twice a day? and why is it important for your children to establish the same habit?
Well, parents of little ones (or you're just reading this for yourself, in which case I am very proud of you), I'll get straight to the point and tell you the "tooth" about why we have to brush twice daily.
Something you could tell your children to make them laugh and listen to your reasoning whilst you negotiate brushing twice a day, is "we brush at night to keep our teeth, and we brush in the morning to keep our friends" of course you may insert a joke here about their breath smelling like cream cheese in the morning.
During sleep, bacteria in our mouth multiply to levels that can cause damage to our enamel and gums if left alone to roam the expansive landscape that is our mouth. If not removed through brushing, those bacteria will feed on the food we eat during the day and they release acids as ‘poop’ (your child should relate more to that word than ‘byproduct’, besides all children laugh at the word ‘poop’, to be honest I’m laughing as I’m writing this). That ‘poop’ then continues to eat into our enamel and is the cause of decay and weak enamel.
Just as it is important to brush our teeth first thing in the morning to help fix the damage completed throughout the night, so it is just as important just before we go to sleep. Imagine that bacteria multiplying in your mouth as you sleep whilst having access to all the remnants of donuts and chicken you have eaten throughout the day… POOP EVERYWHERE!
So yes, it is very important we brush twice a day, first thing in the morning, and last thing at night. One does not replace the other as they are both equally crucial to maintaining long term good oral health. Teaching this habit to your children will save them so much trauma, anxiety, and yourself some money too ;) We all know it is expensive to get fillings. So let's help our children create healthy habits for life.
Joseph Hanna - Oral Health Therapist and Co-Founder