Prepare for Halloween..Don't Forget the Listerine (for kids)!

Everyone say welcome to my NEW blog partner Farrah!

Hello lovely readers! I am so excited to be a part of Cherry Blossoms {the blog}! I am an on the go mom of 3 boys under 3 and enjoy finding products that make our lives easier. When I'm not here reviewing and giving away the best around, I am tending to my '4th child' TheThreeUnder.com. Stop in and say hi- I get lonely if I just have myself to talk to all day :)

What a great time to get serious with your kids about their teeth! You can't do Halloween right if you don't make sure that candy isn't going to do any damage.  My guys are pretty little still- but my oldest is to the point where he SHOULD be brushing regularly (2.5 years) with our help, and this will be the first year that candy is in play. My guys are a little young yet for using Smart Rinse, but that doesn't mean this isn't the perfect time for you to introduce it to your crew if they are 6 years and up.

What it is: LISTERINE®’s new Phineas and Ferb Bubble Blast Flavor SMART RINSE®. 

Unlike other fluoride rinses, LISTERINE® SMART RINSE® works like a magnet to attract the particles that brushing may leave behind and tints the particles – leaving proof in the sink of a cleaner, more protected mouth. 

Some other benefits include:

·         A special post-brush mouth rinse design to help kids protect their teeth against cavities
·         The power to clean the mouth beyond brushing alone
·         A primary benefit of included fluoride – which is an important ingredient to help   provide extra cavity protection
·         And because it’s from the makers of LISTERINE®, SMART RINSE® kills the germs that cause bad breath too.

Good stuff! Coming from someone who had 7 cavities by the time she was 7 (ouch!) I can tell you that I wish I would have had a rinse that was kid friendly like this. There's no guarantee it would have helped, but hey- it's something. Getting kids into a regular brushing routine is, oh, I don't know- WORTH GOLD!!!!!

Dr. Kaneta Lott, a renowned pediatric dentist, has partnered with Listering Smart Rinse to provide some tips on making the habit more fun. Here's some tips for those kids ages 6-7:

Show don't tell: Floss once a day and rinse twice a day every day. Kids love to copy us, right? What a better way than to set this kind of an example? I know our mornings have all three boys with us, in our room and bathroom. They watch everything we do. We need to start setting the example now!

Make oral care fun: Turn flossing into a game- funny face or Simon Says. This is a great idea! I personally love those flossing sticks ( I find that I will actually use them rather more than the traditional roll).

Reward healthy behavior: Offer rewards for achieving brushing, rinsing, flossing goals. I guess as long as you don't offer candy??? Haha..but seriously- maybe if you create a sticker coded calendar in their bathroom- I think a pretty cool treat would be to let them pick out a new toothbrush, etc. or something related to what the point is in the first place.

Here's some extra cool info about what Listerine is doing in the community:

The makers of LISTERINE® SMART RINSE® have teamed up with the national nonprofit organization America’s Toothfairy® this Halloween season to help parents instill good oral care habits in their children and help the most vulnerable children get the oral care they deserve with a Trick or Treat for America’s Toothfairy® campaign. Parents and kids are encouraged to visit America's Toothfairy to get helpful oral care tips and also learn about how they can raise money for the millions of children who are affected by tooth decay. In addition to the $100K donation the makers of LISTERINE® SMART RINSE® will be making to the charity, children who raise $10 or more will receive a personalized letter from America’s Toothfairy® to display.

Pssstt...There's a coupon on their website!

Buy it: You can find Listerine Smart Rinse nationwide for $4.84 (16.9oz)

I received a sample for the purpose of reviewing. Opinions expressed are my own or my families and are not influenced by any form of compensation.