Kid-Friendly Guide to Rinsing

Kid-Friendly Guide to Rinsing

 How to get your child start regularly brushing. 

When kids come into contact with sugary foods, start them early on oral care habits by explaining the link between sugary foods and mouth health. Encourage healthy habits like brushing, flossing and rinsing. If you get them to form good oral habits, like rinsing twice a day (instead of getting them to quit sweets completely) that’s a win. Remember to reinforce that hard brushing can harm gums and try brushing together to emphasize that the motion should be gentle, not forceful, and that rinsing targets the whole mouth, along with brushing and flossing.

Kid-Friendly Routines (For Kids Ages 6+)

 STEP 1:  Pour 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of LISTERINE^® SMART RINSE mouthwash into the bottle opening.

 STEP 2:   Guide your child to empty the solution into his or her mouth. Do not dilute the solution.

 STEP 3:  Guide your child to swish for a full 60 seconds to thoroughly rinse the mouth (try counting to 60 aloud while they swish, or making it a game by using a stopwatch or singing a song), and then lead your child to swish.

 STEP 4:  Award a gold star, sticker or other kid-appropriate reward to your child for being a clean-mouth all-star.

Maintain Overall Mouth Health

 Take the Three-Part Approach 

1. Brush

2. Floss

3. Rinse

Remember that as effective as mouthwash is, it is still a supplemental part of a comprehensive healthy-mouth regimen that includes brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. 

When kids come into contact with candy, cookies and sugary foods, start them early on oral care habits by explaining the link between sugary foods and mouth health. Encourage healthy habits like brushing, flossing and rinsing. If you get them to form good oral habits, like rinsing twice a day (instead of getting them to quit sweets completely) that’s a win.

Remember to reinforce that hard brushing can harm teeth and try brushing together to emphasize that the motion should be gentle, not forceful, and that rinsing gets the whole mouth clean, along with brushing and flossing.