Do you have a hard time getting your kids to brush their teeth long enough? If the answer is yes then you are like majority of parents out there! The official recommendation from the American Dental Association is for everyone to brush twice a day, two minutes at a time. Not only is the amount of time spent brushing important, but the quality of the brushing is important as well.
Often times the reason for less than ideal brushing is just because it is a “chore” and not something necessarily exciting to do. With this being the case, there are definitely some great solutions to this problem considering the technological age we now live in. There are several mobile apps out there that can make brushing fun and exciting for kids, which means it no longer becomes a dreaded task. Different apps will likely work best for different kids so I’m going to offer a few suggestions here but I recommend you try several out until you find one that works great for your family.
Top 5 Mobile Apps To Make Toothbrushing Fun For Kids
1. Disney Magic Timer By Oral-B
For all the Disney loving families out there (by the way I am raising my hand so big on this one), this is the app for you! This app will let fill in a Disney themed pictured the longer your child brushes their teeth, to see the whole picture they will have to keep brushing for 2 minutes! There is one important thing to mention here and that is that to get many of the characters you do have to make purchases. Mickey and Minnie come standard but other princesses and movies will require your child to unlock them by earning them through the app, making in app purchases, or buying Oral B Products with the chosen character on the product. Apple Google Play
2. Brush DJ
This one is great for all those kiddos who love music and dancing. I always recommend to my patients that they brush their teeth to their favorite 2 minute song and this app allows you to do just that- pulling music from your device or cloud/streaming service! Let your children dance to their favorite tunes while getting their mouths fully clean. The app also allows your child to customize the colors of the screen. Other great features: reminders for brushing, flossing, changing out your toothbrush, and visiting the dentist as well as how to animations for brushing and flossing. Apple Google Play
3. Pokemon Smile
If your children love Pokemon like mine do, this app may just be the motivation that they need! Children can save Pokemon by brushing their teeth, thorough brushing can both rid the mouth of bacteria and capture Pokemon! The more consistent your child is the more features they can unlock in this app and the more Pokemon they can collect, with 100 in total. This app also offers tips and guidance on toothbrushing as well as reminders when it’s time to brush! Apple Google Play
4. Colgate Magik
This app specifically pairs with the Colgate Magik kids toothbrush and does make brushing teeth a game for children. Using AR technology, the children can brush their teeth while fighting off “monsters” in their mouths. Due to the advanced technology used, the toothbrush and partnering app can evaluate your child’s brushing, the better their brushing technique, the more monsters they defeat! Parents can then log in to the parent dashboard to see how their child is doing with their brushing and help with any recommended technique adjustments. Apple Google Play
5. Brusheez – The Little Monster Toothbrush Timer
This is a fun app for kids to enjoy brushing their teeth. The app allows children to customize their monster’s hair, pajamas, and toothbrush and also lets them control different animations within the app. Brushing for two minutes really goes quickly with this interactive app! Apple Google Play
Happy Brushing!
Author
Dr. Mikaeya Kalantari has been a practicing pediatric dentist for over 7 years working in both the children's hospital setting and private practice. She has had a wealth of experience treating children of all ages, and medical conditions. When it comes to serving children, she feels the importance of communication between the dentist and parent can not be emphasized enough. Dr. Kalantari practices in her family owned dental office in Mission Viejo, California
