Encourage better teeth brushing with Playbrush

One thing I struggle with getting my kids to do is brush their teeth.  Even when they do it’s a battle of getting them to keep brushing for two minutes and move the brush to every side of their mouth.  So when I heard about Playbrush I was keen to try it out and see if it improved my children’s daily teeth brushing routine.

wp_20161108_16_24_15_proPlaybrush is basically a small device that attaches to the bottom of a standard size toothbrush and via bluetooth connects to a phone or tablet allowing children to play a game alongside brushing their teeth.  It is rechargeable and can easily be charged via a usb cable as and when required.  When ready it simply pushes onto the bottom of the childs toothbrush.

playbrushTo use the Playbrush you need to link to an app, which when open the device automatically connects to via bluetooth which makes it really simple for children to do themselves.  My two can just take the phone and get going themselves. The game is easy to set up with multiple profiles so once done, the child can just touch their name to continue on with building up their score.

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There are four different games available and we’ve tried them all, although my children tend to stick to their favourites but change sometimes for something different.  Utoothia Sky is a regular game they play although my little boy loves Utoothia Paint where the more your brush, the more of your picture is coloured in. The catch is that each colour represents a different angle of brushing so to complete the picture you need to brush each side and both upper and lower teeth to fully colour the image.

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Each game lasts for two minutes to allow for optimum brushing time.  The game also requires you to move the brush in different directions in order to succeed which has definitely opened my children eyes to the lack of movement they usually brush with.  In particular my little boy tended to keep his brush facing one way so never really got to the back teeth on the other side.  The game has really encouraged him to turn his hand and give the teeth on the other side a really good scrub!

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You can also purchase a smartphone holder which has suction pads to stick to tiles or a mirror.  This is really useful to protect the smartphone and also to save anyone holding on to it.  We found our mirror a little high for the children and they preferred sticking it onto the side of the bath if one of us wasn’t holding it, but it worked for them.

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So what do we think about Playbrush?

The children love it and haven’t got bored of it.  After several weeks of trying it out they still ask to borrow a phone daily to use with the Playbrush to brush their teeth.  From my point of view, I can definitely see an improvement in my children’s brushing both in terms of length of time and technique.  They definitely move the brush around their mouths more and it’s lovely to see a rich lather of toothpaste from them rather than a quick brush and spit it out.  For our family the Playbrush has been a success and we are seeing a much better teeth cleaning routine.  I’m hoping that they will form habits from using the games, so that when they don’t have the  Playbrush attached they will automatically clean every angle and keep going for two minutes.  Why not try one out with your kids today, it could be just that little bit of encouragement they need and make the whole process a lot less stressful for all of you!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Instant Whites 7 Day Teeth Whitening System

With Christmas approaching and lots of social events on the way, it’s a good time to think about your teeth.  Looking white and sparkly helps you feel more confident and gives you a great smile so I’ve been checking out Instant Whites, a 7 day at home whitening system that is simple and quick to use.  It can boost your teeth by upto 9 shades but this obviously depends on the current state of your teeth before you start.

wp_20161119_09_27_53_proThe kit contains 7 liquid filled peroxide free swabs, contained in a plastic case.  To use them you simply remove a swab and push the stick together to release the liquid into the top half which then oozes out of the swab.  Then rub gently across the teeth that you wish to whiten for between 10-20 seconds per tooth.  This is really easy to do and there is no bitter taste or any unpleasantness.

instant-whitesSo what did I think?

Well I have fairly light teeth anyway, although yellower than I would personally like so I was interested to see if this would make a difference as it was such a gentle treatment. When you rub the wand across your teeth there is a very slight abrasive feeling to it, which I guess scrubs away any stain and marks.  I would definitely say my teeth look fresher, brighter and more healthy.  Maybe a shade or two whiter as well.  It’s definitely given them a boost ahead of the festive season which always makes it easier to give a confidence smile as I’m sure there’ll be lots of photos taken in the upcoming weeks!

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Available from various retailers the Instant Whites – 7 Day Whitening System costs £30 and is a great way to give your teeth a brighter, sparkling shine!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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MR Blanc Teeth Whitening Strips

Although my teeth aren’t badly discoloured, they could definitely be a lot brighter and whiter, so I thought I’d give Mr Blanc Teeth Whitening Strips a go.  Using a non peroxide whitening product clinically proven to safely whiten teeth with enamel friendly ingredients they are gentle but effective.

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One box of Mr Blanc, contains a two week supply of strips in 14 individually sealed sachets.  Each sachet contains a transparent sheet with two strips on it, on for the top and one for the bottom.  They look really thin and as if there’s not much on the back of them but once they are in the mouth, there is plenty of gel to work it’s magic!

mr-blanc-2The strips are very simple to apply and you literally just lightly dry your teeth, then press the strip onto the front of them and then fold the rest around the edge and down the back of the teeth.  They need to stay on for 30 minutes so it’s best to find a quiet time to do this as although you can talk, it’s not overly easy.

So what were the results?  Well I have to say I wasn’t expecting much from the first strip alone, but immediately after I took it off I could see brighter whiter teeth and was really impressed.  Each further day that you use it, the brightening improves and they help prevent future staying.  I love my new brighter teeth, although it doesn’t show too well in a picture but in daylight it is clear to see.  In fact my friend popped round for coffee last week and noticed my teeth without even knowing I’d used the strips.

Mr Blanc strips are so easy to use, are comfortable on and it only takes 30 minutes a day, so why not give them a try?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Protecting your Child’s Teeth with Pronamel

Protecting your child’s enamel on their teeth is really important particularly when their permanent teeth come through between the ages of 6 and 13 years.  These new teeth are vulnerable to attack from acid erosions, the wearing away of the protective enamel caused by everyday food and drink.

Pronamel by Sensodyne sent my children a special wash pack each as part of their campaign to encourage both efficient brushing and ways of caring for their teeth as demonstrated in a bite size tooth guide that they have compiled.

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As children’s enamel is 50% thinner than adults it’s really important to consider the diet that you give your child.  A survey amongst parents conducted by Pronamel, found that 30% of parents give fruit to their child as a snack, 27% biscuits and only 3% vegetables.

I have to say that with my two children I give them a mix of all three across the day, mixing up vegetables with houmous, fruit and a little sweet treat.

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Pronamel toothpaste for children helps to protect their teeth by:

  • Helps re-harden acid softened tooth enamel, keeping children’s teeth strong and healthy
  • It has a low abrasive formula that is gentle on children’s enamel
  • Contains flouride to help protect against tooth decay
  • Provides plaque removal with twice daily brushing

My 6 yr old has been using this daily and is quite happy with the taste which is great as I know the kids can be fussy if a toothpaste tastes too strong.  I’ve also been using the adult version and have to say it’s very pleasant to use and I’d happily use it again, particularly knowing that it is protecting the enamel on my teeth.

pronamel 35 yr old Mister B is always motivated with a little encouragement and I have to say with his new bathroom accessories he can’t wait to clean his teeth and has done it everyday without fail on his own without us asking him too! He just loves the elephant animal spout for our bathroom tap and he now says before going up to brush “If I brush my teeth can I have a sticker?”.  As you can imagine his pyjamas are covered in them but if that keeps his teeth brushed and healthy then great!

I’ll finish now with Professor David Bartlett’s top five tips for protecting your child’s enamel:

  1. Limit the number of occassions that your child has acidic food and drinks in a day
  2. Avoid brushing right after eating or drinking acidic foods
  3. Nibble on a tiny piece of cheese or swill with water or milk after each meal
  4. Use a glass and a straw and finish the drink quickly
  5. Brush twice a day, every day to with an optimised flouride toothpaste like Pronamel for children to help reharden and strenghten acid softened tooth enamel and help to keep children’s teeth strong and healthy.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product plus other goodies in order to write an honest review and sharing some toothcare tips.

Love Your Mouth Challenge for Dental Health

Oral health has always been important to me, I like to keep my teeth clean and healthy and so far I’ve been fortunate that I am in and out of the dentist chair in five minutes.  I’m sure the day will come where one day he tells me I need a filling or some other work done so I’m trying to do my best to avoid that my maintaining a healthy mouth.

Love your Mouth Challenge is a quick, online assessment tool that you can click through and depending on your answers, it recommends various dental products for you to use.

I tried and due to some redness and bleeding gums that I’ve got on my front top teeth, it recommended Corsodyl daily mouthwash and toothpaste which I have now been using for the past week. Corsodyl was something the dentist recommended me to try as he had noticed the swelling and said it should hopefully go away although I hadn’t got round to trying it.

I also ran the survey with my daughter for which it recommended Aquafresh Big Teeth for ages 6+.  This is perfect for her and a flavour she enjoys using and has become part of her daily routine when brushing her teeth.

CorsodylThe Corsodyl toothpaste is a beige coloured paste, and doesn’t taste like my usual baking soda toothpaste but was fine to use and you know it’s doing some good in your mouth.  It feels effective and hopefully will improve the gum line at the front to prevent the dentist from investigating further!

The Corsodyl daily mouthwash feels quite strong to use but is powerful and fresh.  This definitely leaves my mouth feeling clean and minty fresh and knowing that it is protecting my teeth and gums to leave them healthy is a great benefit and will encourage me to use it daily.

Miss M loves her Aquafresh big teeth toothpaste, she finds it pleasant to use and not too minty, perfect for growing teeth!

Don’t forget to check your out the right products for your mouth using the Love your Mouth Challenge online tool.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the products in order to write the review.

 

 

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the items in order to write the review.

iWhite Instant Teeth Whitening 2 – Review

iWhite 2 Instant Teeth Whitening 2 is a simple to use home kit that gently whitens your teeth over five days.  With ten prefilled trays included, that need to be worn for 20 minutes each day, you can’t go wrong, but you can really make a difference to your teeth.

WP_20150722_13_35_12_ProIt’s key features are:

  • Clinically proven INSTANT whitening results
  • Up to 8 shades whiter
  • 100% safe and hydrogen peroxide free
  • Active stain remover
  • Strengthens the teeth
  • Restores the enamel
  • Easy: one step system, prefilled, no mixing
  • Comfortable: soft transparent trays for a custom fit teeth whitening, one-size-fits-all
  • Whitens the front and back of the teeth

WP_20150722_13_35_46_ProTo use, you simply peel open the foil cover which reveals two filled trays, simply put one on your top row of teeth and one on the bottom.  Then wait 20 minutes, you can’t talk during this time so I found it best to do in the evening when the kids were in bed.  Once the time is up simply remove and discard the trays, and rinse your teeth around to remove any excess residue.

Then check out the results to see if there’s a difference.  I think it’s quite hard to tell the difference between the pictures below as they were taken in different lights a week apart, but I can confirm they are definitely whiter, they look a lot clearer and brighter and I’m very happy with the results.  It’s really is a very simple to use and the results are effective so it is something that I’d use again if my teeth needed it.

My husband noticed the difference in my teeth straightaway so that I believe is a sure sign that it worked!

iwhitenAll reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and I received the iWhiten set in order to write the review.

 

 

iWhite Instant Tooth Whitening Treatment – Review

iWhite Instant is a home teeth whitening treatment that gives instant results.  I have to say my immediate thoughts are a little sceptical as to will it work, but I was eager to give it a try.  With five sets of trays to be used over five days, the kit looked simple to use but would it be worth it?

whiteEach set of trays contains a tray for the top and bottom set of teeth.  You simply peel of the foil lid and place in your mouth.  Then leave for 20 minutes before removing and rinsing any excess gel off of the teeth.  I found this really simple to do and best done in the evening when the children were in bed.

iwhite 2The first day I used this I wasn’t expected to notice any change at all, but was rather pleasantly surprised.  My teeth were visibly whiter, better than they have looked in ages, not that they were ever really yellow, but clearly a few shades whiter than normal.  Being so impressed with the initial results I showed the husband who immediately agreed with me, he could see a difference too!!  I was very pleased and couldn’t wait to get to day 5.

iwhite 3As you can see my teeth are noticeably a few shades whiter which I am really happy with.  The product is easy to use, only takes 20 minutes a day with no effort required and definitely gives results, a great way to pep up your teeth before a big event or suchlike.  I think iWhite Instant does what it says on the box and would recommend!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the products in order to write the review.

Dentyl Active Mouthwash – Review

Dentyl Active mouthwash has been a firm favourite of mine for many years as part of my oral hygiene.  With it’s two phase formula it really leaves your mouth feeling fresh and super clean.

dentylAvailable in seven brightly coloured variants, I was sent the Plaque Fighter in Fresh Clove and Smooth Mint to try out.  I’m a huge fan of the Fresh Clove flavour, not to strong but leaves my mouth feeling really clean.  The Smooth Mint flavour is pleasant and does the same great job, although I think the flavour comes down to personal preference, my husband is a fan of the more minty varieties and leaves me to enjoy the Fresh Clove.

I love the two coloured phases, essential oils at the top and CPC (an antibacterial agent) at the bottom which need to be shaken together before using.  Then when you spit the mouthwash into the sink, along goes all the bits of debris and food too, allowing you to see the results of the mouthwash.  I find this a great incentive as it really feels like it’s working and gives even better results if used after flossing!

Dentyl Active is alcohol free which stops the mouth from drying out and along with the essential oils, keeps your mouth hydrated.  Being alcohol free also means this mouthwash is suitable for children over the age of 6.

I love this mouthwash and highly recommend it.  Although I don’t have time to use it every day Dentyl Active will continue to be part of my regular oral routine several times a week to keep my teeth and mouth both fresh and clean.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the mouthwash in order to write the review.