This is how we brush our teeth .....

I have very few regrets in life, as I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason and all that, but when it comes to my teeth I definitely feel I could have done more. The thought of my teeth is , honesty, quite depressing. Ok, so they are not completely awful and I can pull of a reasonable smile but the back is full of fillings and as of this week I am on my second tooth down. I am sure a lot of the damage was done when I was younger, with juice on tap and lots of sweets at the weekend. I can't really blame my mum too much though, she just thought it was normal to give us lots of treats and that good brushing was enough. It seems not. Being a mum brings all sorts of challenges and we all do things a little differently, especially when it comes to food and diet, whether that be BLW vs Purees or organic vs non- organic etc. I like to think that when it comes to food we should have everything in moderation and that is route I have chosen to take with my daughter : not depriving her of a bit of chocolate now and then but having a regular supply snacks at hand  ( even the supposedly ' healthy' snacks that lace the baby and toddler market; seriously don't believe everything you read on the front packet).When it comes to juice though I am a lot stricter, she has probably only had juice a handful of times and only a small bit at that. I get that when she is older it will be harder to control but whilst I still have an influence I would rather keep her out of the habit if drinking juice and ensure she gets her fruit the natural way. How juice can be classed as part of your 5 a day is madness to me, it is laden with sugar and not kind to teeth at all. Of course, in true moderation it can be part of a healthy diet so following NHS guideline on dental health advice will allow you to give the best possible care to your little ones teeth.

I am very lucky that Sofia loves brushing her teeth, she always asks when getting dressed and before bed so she never really makes a fuss. I did however come across a great phone application recently , made by Rosie's Playtime .'Brush with Jackson is an app in which Jackson Rabbit brushes his teeth alongside you in the bathroom or at the kitchen sink. With supervision children use Jackson as a timer to brush for the recommended 2-3 minutes, twice a day and have fun whilst doing it. '

As well as adding fun to the  tooth brushing process, the app has the added fun factor of repeating what you say to Jackson and giggling when you tickle his tummy and touch his nose. It is a great way to enable children to recognise body parts and help become aware of their own senses : any excuse for a good tickle!

We tried the app together and it was a lot of fun, so give it a go if brushing teeth is a bit of a battle with your little one, it's definitely worth the small fee. Happy brushing!