Blast the plaque with the aid of Buzz Lightyear

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by: David Whale
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Word Count: 452
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 Time: 4:35 AM
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When the stress of bedtime brushing got too much for me I decided it was time to take action. I took the kids on a shopping trip and got them all to choose their own brand new toothbrush - it is amazing what massive effects such seemingly irrelevant things can have on young minds. My 6-year-old looks forward every night to getting out his Buzz Lightyear toothbrush and getting to work on blasting the enemy plaque from his mouth. Telling the tale of the importance of oral health without scaring the kids into it is all about using a medium they can relate to - for my younger two boys using the action hero good guy versus bad guy thing - the plaque being the bad guy - gets them into plaque-busting action hero mode. For my daughter, using the beautiful white smile of the Disney princesses usually gets her to take it seriously. This also works for adults too - after buying my partner a pricey electric toothbrush, she now proclaims her teeth are squeaky-clean and even look a bit whiter!

The reward chart is also a massive motivation for them when they're all groggy and tired. The promise of a reward for paying attention to their oral hygiene gets them into the mindset of achieving something through brushing when they don't fully understand their real achievement in taking care of their oral hygiene - a healthy, glowing smile. It gets good results and the reward doesn't even have to break the bank - a Saturday morning comic book or even a family trip to the park will have the desired effect and these cost little or no money.

The bedtime routine in our house is one of little dread these days. The kids do their duties and collect their stars peacefully (most of the time!) before climbing under the covers to listen in on their bedtime story. My two action heroes go out like a light happily knowing that they've saved the day against the evil plaque monsters and my sleeping beauty drifts into slumber knowing that she has a smile to rival that of Princess Jasmine.

It's all about using what works for your children, getting into their mindset and acting on a level that they can understand. Children don't see danger and in the same way they don't see the importance of taking care of their health, oral or otherwise. For the kids, life is simply about having a good time and it falls to mum to make sure all the important stuff gets taken care of too. My bedtime routine is now a happy one and everyone gets what they want.

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