Oral care and health is a very important thing that isn’t always on the top of our minds. Before kids, oral care isn’t regularly spoken about between my husband and I. As adults we generally just stick to our regular routines. Having children really changes your outlook on oral health. We find ourselves more vocal and diligent with each other about flossing, brushing and rinsing. Now that my daughter is 4 it is critical to teach my daughter the importance of healthy brushing and oral hygiene habits.

Poor oral hygiene can actually lead to gum disease, gingivitis, health complications and other health problems. All can be prevented by regularly visiting your dentist and practicing good oral hygiene at home. With the help of LISTERINE and REACH, they’ve supplied me with the tools I’ll need for my family and I to take the Listerine Oral Care Challenge.

Our goals as a family is to maintain healthier oral hygiene which means we will get into the habit of flossing, brushing and rinsing. Brushing is not a problem in our home, the flossing and rinsing is what we’ll need to bring into the routine. Another goal is for me to introduce my daughter to mouth rinse with LISTERINE Smart Rinse. It is a post-brush anticavity fluoride rinse for kids ages six and up that helps clean and protect teeth beyond brushing alone. Which brings me to the point that the folks at LISTERINE and REACH really are making it easy on parents to get kids excited about oral health. Check out this bottle of Barbie mouth rinse! The matching REACH toothbrush is just icing on the cake. Don’t worry, they have the boys covered too with Batman, Phinas & Ferb and I’m sure there’s others to choose from.

For my husband and I, we’ll be brushing with REACH Total Care Toothbrushes, flossing with REACH Total Care Floss and rinsing with LISTERINE Antiseptic Mouthwash and Total Care.

For those who are wondering, here are some fun facts:

• Dental professionals recommend by the age of 12 months your child should have had their first visit, teeth or no teeth. Oral care is care for the entire mouth, not just teeth.
• There’s no right or wrong order to brush, floss or rinse. However it’s best to rinse with LISTERINE mouthwash at the end. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything 30 minutes after rinsing. LISTERINE should be the last thing in your mouth before bed. It will continue to work for 12 hours while you sleep.
• Good oral hygiene can be affordable. Retailers like Walmart offer LISTERINE and REACH products at great prices everyday. Pair them with coupons and the deals get better!

Check back next month where I’ll share with you how our family did in the LISTERINE Oral Care Challenge! Also stay tuned for a great giveaway!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for the purposes of this post. This post reflects my personal experience and opinion, which may differ from yours. This post has been brought to you with the support from The Motherhood.