Investing in your child’s oral care may well include braces in the future, but the urgency of daily dental habits is often overlooked in the first 7 years before their milk teeth have fallen out. Teaching the value of caring for your teeth and gums and modelling proper oral care routines are necessary parental responsibilities that will pay lifelong dividends. Anything that makes taking care of teeth fun, like letting your little ones choose their own toothbrush or introducing child-friendly electric toothbrushes, will be a fantastic start to encouraging proper oral care when they are small.
In the innovative world of dental care, electric toothbrushes have emerged as game-changers, offering a fun and effective way to instil good oral hygiene habits in your kids. As they are designed to be easier to manoeuvre compared to manual toothbrushes, they also offer a convenient solution for young children who are still developing their motor skills.
According to our Smile Shop professional opinion, here’s why electric toothbrushes should be an essential tool in your parenting arsenal:
A playful approach to oral care
As part of a parent’s ‘duty-of-care,’ it’s important to teach your small children the importance of brushing their teeth and having a clean and white smile. But generally speaking, younger (and older) kids are disinterested in brushing their teeth twice a day. The link between eating sugary treats (which they do love to do) and healthy teeth is lost on them, and getting them to brush their teeth is often a dreaded task.
Electric toothbrushes, coming in vibrant colours and featuring beloved characters, turn the mundane task of brushing into an exciting adventure. The cheerful kid-friendly designs help capture your child's interest and transform toothbrushing into a fun, daily routine.
Take a look at the usmile Sonic Electric Toothbrush For Kids Q4 which comes with fun stickers so your kids can really play by customising their own toothbrush.
Built-in timers for optimal brushing
One of the challenges in getting kids to brush their teeth effectively is ensuring they do it for the recommended two minutes, which can feel like ‘forever’ for kids who have no concept of time!
This dentist-recommended brushing time - for children and adults - contributes to the following:
- Adequate cleaning of the surfaces of each tooth, ensuring the optimal uptake of fluoride which helps protect it against tooth decay.
- Prevents plaque build-up, which is the #1 culprit in eating away at tooth enamel and damaging gums.
- Lowers the risk of gum disease by gently cleaning the gum line where the gums and teeth meet. (This is where electric toothbrushes come into their own with ultra-soft filaments for kids).
Our usmile Sonic Electric Toothbrush For Kids Q4 -comes equipped with a 2-minute built-in timer and an internal pause reminder every 30 seconds - encouraging your littlies to brush for the right amount of time without constant supervision. This convenient feature (+ the ergonomic handle for easy grip for little hands) not only helps in maintaining oral health but also teaches the importance of time management.
Gentle on tiny teeth and gums
The soft, oscillating bristles of electric toothbrushes (at 3300 vibrations per minute) are designed to be gentle on children's developing teeth and gums, making them an ideal choice for parents concerned about the potential harm caused by manual toothbrushes with harder bristles and rougher brushing techniques.
(Some electric toothbrushes come equipped with pressure sensors to detect when too much force is being applied during brushing, safeguarding sensitive little gums and preventing potential damage).
Improved plaque removal
Compared to manual brushing, the oscillating or rotating motion of electric toothbrushes enhances plaque removal. The consistent and thorough cleaning provided by these brushes helps keep cavities at bay and your child's smile radiant. With an electric toothbrush doing the hard slog, you can goodbye to the days of worrying about your kids missing spots and incomplete cleaning
Teaching independence
One of the first developmental milestones of toddlers is stubbornly wanting to do things by themselves. Electric toothbrushes ‘empower’ kids to take charge of their oral health. The simple on/off buttons make them easy for little hands to use, fostering a sense of independence and responsibility. As your child becomes more confident in their brushing routine, you can trust that they are developing lifelong habits for a healthy smile.
Electric toothbrushes and kids’ smiles @ Smile Shop
Here at Smile Shop - South Africa’s first online store dedicated to bringing you an ever-growing range of premium home dental care products for kids, tweens, teens and adults - we are committed to assisting you in your parental oral care endeavours by making shopping for kid-friendly and age-appropriate dental products a breeze.
By making oral care a positive and engaging experience and embracing the power of technology in dental health, you're setting the stage for a lifetime of healthy smiles and habits in your little ones.