It’s the beginning of spring, which means it’s time to clean! As you’re planning out your strategy for tackling your bathroom, don’t forget about the cabinets and the dental care tools you use daily.
This is a great opportunity for you and your family to assess your oral care routine and make the necessary adjustments to maintain healthy and beautiful smiles.
- Throw out your old toothbrush if it’s older than 4 months old. The American Dental Association recommends that you change out your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or whenever the bristles on your brush get too frayed. You always want to make sure that the main tool you’re using to care for your teeth is in tip-top shape!
- Organize all of your dental tools in one place. Brush, floss, and mouthwash – it’s easy for some of us to remember, but if all of your products are in one place, then it’s even more efficient for your home oral care routine. This can also help your children remember all the things they need to do during brushing time.
- Sanitize inside the cabinets, or wherever you store your toothbrushes. Everyone stores their toothbrushes in different places, but one thing is for certain: everyone needs to make sure that they are cleaning in the areas around where those toothbrushes are stored. That could also mean cleaning inside the toothbrush cup holder, where bacteria is sure to be collected.
- Think about how you can change or update your oral cleaning routine. If you designed a fun experience for your child to encourage them to brush their teeth, maybe it’s time to change it up! Children love to be challenged, and they also love to try new things. Maybe find them a new character toothbrush based on what they’re watching, or change the 2-minute song you use to time your brushing. Even the smallest tweaks can raise interests again!
Remember, it’s not just the counter and sink that need a good scrub! Spring cleaning gives us a chance to look at our daily routine again, and make improvements to help maintain – or make better – our tasks that have to perform regularly.
Need some more ideas on improving your at-home oral care routine? Book an appointment with our Long Beach dental team and we can help your family find something that works for you.
Come in for an exam and cleaning with Dr. Stephen Coates and his experienced and friendly dental team! Call us now at 562-434-6414.
