Listerine 21-Day Challenge Results (and Getting Your Kids to Brush)

Disclosure: I received a Target gift card to purchase LISTERINE Brand products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE 21-Day Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Last month I shared that I was participating in the LISTERINE^® 21-Day Challenge and I challenged you to do the same. I hope you did!  Now that the 21 days are up, I wanted to let you know how it went. I am already a pretty good caretaker of my teeth but, as I shared previously, I have been having some issues with my gums, so that is what I wanted to focus this challenge on.

I swished with LISTERINE^® Cool Mint Antiseptic mouthwash every day, but I also added it to my water flosser at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part Listerine. Let me tell you that it made my mouth feel super clean. It was a noticeable difference from the start but 21 days later, it still feels awesome. My mouth also feels clean when I wake up in the morning and that fuzzy feeling that is sometimes there has gone away. I also really loved the REACH^® Floss which is thicker than the floss I had been using and I felt like it was more effective at cleaning between my teeth.

The kiddos really enjoyed using the LISTERINE^® products as well, especially my son who saw it as a personal challenge to be able to keep swishing for the entire 30 seconds. I had no problem getting them to swish, which surprised me because getting them to brush and floss is often a challenge. Do your kiddos have issues with brushing, too? Here are 5 things you can do to get your kids to brush their teeth.

1. Brush with them. If you are at the sink together, they are more likely to actually brush. Plus, you can model a good brushing method.
2. Let them choose their toothpaste and mouthwash flavor. Many kids dislike the adult flavors.
3. Warn them about the sugar bugs. I used to tell my kids that there were sugar bugs on their teeth and we had to chase them away with the toothbrush. As they grew older, I explained plaque and oral bacteria to them.
4. Buy them an electric toothbrush. Let’s face it, electric brushes are more fun and some of them even have timers.
5. Reward them with praise. Since my kiddos sometimes pretend to brush, I often inspect their mouths after they brush. When I can tell they have done well, I compliment them on how clean their mouth is and what a great job they did.

If you haven’t taken the LISTERINE^® 21 Day Challenge, why not start today?

One fun part of this campaign is the #SwishSelfie.” While you are swishing tonight take a selfie and post it to the LISTERINE^® Facebook page. For every Swish Selfie posted, LISTERINE^® will make a $5.00 donation to Oral Health America’s Smiles Across America, up to $85,000. So get those phones ready and snap away.