Growing up, I learned the importance of good dental care. My parents both had a lot of dental work and made sure that my brother and I took care of our teeth. We went to the dentist every six months, used fluoride pills, had fluoride treatments done each visit, and brushed and flossed every day. To say that I was afraid of getting cavities would be an understatement. Just before my 30th birthday, I went to the dentist. The hygienist told me that if I had never had a cavity before this, it was unlikely I ever would.

I should have made her take those words back! 

Care to guess what happened next?   Yes, I was told I had my first cavity and needed a filling. It was very small, but I was a 29 year old baby who was nervous and crying over this.

TechyDad and I have only had two cavities between us. The boys have been brushing their gums since they were infants with no teeth. Oral hygiene is important in our house and the boys know it.

October is a tough month on teeth. Thanks to Halloween, most of us eat a little (or lot) of extra sugary foods. Thanks to this fact, Listerine and Reach created the "October Oral Care Challenge" for kids 6 and older. NHL (6) and I signed up for the challenge when asked by Mom Central. To complete it, we had to brush, floss, and rinse every day, twice a day for two weeks.

Even before the challenge, we were brushing twice daily and are getting much better at making sure everyone flosses in the evening before bed (our one area of weakness when in a rush). This challenge was not something difficult for us since we often do this and  were already using some of the products that were sent to try.

Unfortunately, I have to confess something. The October Oral Care Challenge has been tough for us for an unrelated reason. When the items arrived in the mail, I was just getting sick. I had the flu for a week. The next week, my little guy had the flu. We started the two week challenge just after that point and are finishing it now. Sad to say that now one of the other participants, NHL has the flu. We still make sure to brush our teeth when sick, since the bacteria and germs love the warmer temperatures from the fever. What goes out the window are the extra steps like using the Listerine Agent Cool Blue. On these days, we do the brushing to get it done right and quickly.  We will definitely continue with this challenge once NHL is feeling better.

NHL was a big fan of the Listerine Agent Cool Blue. He liked swishing it around in his mouth and then looking in the mirror to see what was on his teeth. The blue tint left on his teeth allowed NHL to gain more independence and brush on his own. We could then look in and see how he did and help to finish the job if needed. We also learned through this challenge that it is time for NHL to do this on his own. Thanks to the advice from not only our dentists, but Dr. Kaneta Lott we know what items he should be doing at certain ages. You can read more about Oral Care Smarts here. We also loved the Reach Flosser’s. They helped us to get into the back teeth easier and even allowed NHL to work on flossing solo.

Teaching oral care with our children is important to us and will always be. Our boys have learned this thanks to lots of modeling (they often go with us to the dentist too). We will continue to head to the dentist every six months, as well as brush twice daily, floss and rinse. Be sure to get your Listerine Total Care Coupon & the Listerine Smart Rinse Coupon. 

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign for Mom Central on behalf of Listerine and Reach and received Listerine and Reach products for the Oral Care Challenge and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.