I don’t have the best teeth in the world but that’s because I was born with cleft lip and had to endure a lot of surgeries over the years. My teeth may not be the prettiest, but they are definitely the cleanest…or at least they should be since I brush, floss and rinse as much as ten times a day (no joke).

I think that I developed an OCD for brushing my teeth because when I was a child, there were times I’d have to go without brushing (for months at a time) in order to give my lip time to heal. When I was able to brush, I did it as often as I could—whenever I could. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as brushing “too much”(as I’ve learned). Brushing too much can cause a person to strip the enamel right off (slowly) leaving a person with overly sensitive teeth and gums, not to mention cavities, gum disease, and other such dental problems. It’s something I deal with every day. Eating sweet things pain me. Drinking and/or eating something too hot or too cold with have the same effect. OMG- and when it’s time to brush my teeth; if I don’t have a sensitive teeth toothpaste…boy does that hurt!

Now, just because I have a multitude of dental problems; this doesn’t mean the kids do. Aside from having to go through the pains of dealing with expanders for small jaws and braces for overcrowded teeth, my kids have never had a cavity in their life. They always get an A+ report from their dentist and honestly- I’ve never had to fight with them on visiting the dentists office-ever. In fact, they’d rather visit the dentist’s office over a regular doctor’s office any day.

My kids have beautiful teeth and I intend to keep it that way. For this reason, I was super excited about taking the Listerine Oral Care Challenge with the kids. When we received a package of dental goodies in the mail, we were all very happy. Of course, everyone was antsy about calling dibs on what they wanted, but the mean mommy that I am had them wait (LOL). 

Thanks to the makers of Listerine and Reach. The two have teamed with America’s Toothfairy to launch “Trick or Treat for America’s Toothfairy,”. It’s a campaign to raise awareness of pediatric dental disease and help provide life changing care to underserved children.

I think it’s an amazing challenge to get involved with and I (and the kids) were so excited about taking part in this campaign through Mom Central.

Just recently, the family and I received a hefty package of dental products in the mail. It was literally packed to the rim with mouth rinse, toothbrushes, dental floss and a lot of literature to get us started on taking the challenge. Take a look –>

In more detail; the contents of this package included:

• 1-Fact Sheet
• 1-Calendar + stickers
• 1-Listerine Smart Rinse—Batman
• 1-Listerine Smart Rinse—Barbie
• 1-Listerine—Agent CoolBlue (a visual aid pre-rinse for kids- allowing them to see just which teeth need more brushing)
• 1-Listerine Zero Clean Mint (mine, mine, mine!!!)
• 1-Reach Access Flosser refill pack
• 1-Reach Access Handle & Floss pack
• 1-Reach Wonder Grip Toothbrushes (4 pack)
• 1-Reach Batman Toothbrushes (2 pack)
• 1-Reach Total Care + Whitening toothbrush
• 1-Reach Total Care Whitening Floss
• 1-Reach Total Care Floss—Mint
• 1-Listerine Smart Rinse—Mint Shield
• 1-Listerine Smart Rinse—Berry Shield
• 1-Listerine Cool Mint
• 1-Trick or Treat for America’s Toothfairy- individual participant kit (to support the cause if we so chose to this Halloween)

The fact sheet was read to the girls before they were allowed to call dibs on anything- though I could see, and I learned very quickly, that seeing all the goodies that were placed before them was making it tough for them to pay attention…LOL! I literally had to stop what I was doing to put everything back in the box; that way, they had no choice but to pay attention to me for a few minutes. Once I read the fact sheet and showed them the calendar and shared information on the America’s Toothfairy cause, and made sure they understood…I let everyone pick and choose what they wanted for themselves. Everything else was divided up amongst everyone so that the challenge can be done correctly (and with much success). The girls literally ran to the bathroom to get started on the challenge.

In the few days since receiving the package, I have seen a lot more brushing going on. They already did a great job before, but now it seems like their even more excited about taking care of their teeth. Seeing all the goodies really got them motivated. Knowing they can earn more goodies, from mom, by brushing twice a day has kept them participating.

As for the products we received: I loved them all…a whole lot. I’ll be honest, to me- it seems like Listerine is different than it used to be; it’s way better than I remember. I didn’t like it for a long time. My dad, when I was younger, would only buy this brand (it was the yellow Listerine) and I thought it tasted like medicine that burnt the inside of my mouth every time. So, as any kid who doesn’t like something would do- I stopped using mouth rinse. I actually have a new found love for Listerine (as do my kiddos). They love the Berry shield and the mint doesn’t seem to ‘burn’ their mouth like it did me when I was younger. Is this weird? I am impressed with all the products we received and it was nice to give everyone a new toothbrush…those, by the way, are always good to change out ever three to six months. You can never have enough toothbrushes! Now the floss. I liked the tool and the disposable Flosser refills too. I’ll definitely be taking them to Chicago when I go- very convenient.

How I used the calendar and stickers: I told the girls that for each day that they brushed, flossed and rinsed (a minimum of two times—once in the morning and once before bed) they’d each be allowed to place one sticker in that day’s square. At the end of the challenge, if they had every box filled, they would earn a trip to the prize box I recently started. This box consists of silly bands, stickers; the usual dollar store items that kids like. BTW: you can get a kid to do a lot if you have a box like this handy

About America’s Toothfairy:

Feel free to visit www.AmericasToothfairy.org to learn how you can participate in the challenge.

Can you imagine not being able to eat, sleep, or pay attention in school because of unbearable pain from untreated dental disease? Millions of children in our country live like this every day. By participating in Trick or Treat for America’s Toothfairy, you are truly changing children’s lives!

NCOHF is dedicated to eliminating children’s preventable pain and suffering from America’s #1 chronic childhood illness: pediatric dental disease. ~read more

Though Halloween is over, you can still find ways to help. Foundations such as the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation are always accepting of donations. Please take a moment to visit the site. It’s a great cause and so needed in America!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of LISTERINE and REACH and received products to take the Oral Care Challenge. Mom Central Consulting also sent me a Global Giving Gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.