Using dental apps for kids to help increase brushing time

With mobile technology playing a major role in influencing young people’s behavior, dental apps are a great resource to promote awareness and education of healthy oral health habits, and have fun while doing it!

All parents know how difficult it is to get children to understand the importance of taking care of their teeth. Many new education “Apps” are now available that are great tools in assisting parents with this task. While a dental app may not be your first choice for downloading on to your iPhone, e-book reader or tablet, it may just be the answer for educating your children on the importance of dental health.

Getting your kids to brush is no easy task. Dental professionals recommend brushing for at least 2 minutes in order to maintain good oral health. However, most people, especially children, do not reach that goal and typically brush for less than one minute. A good way to insure that your children are brushing their teeth for the right amount of time, 2 minutes, is to make the activity more enjoyable, which with the use of dental apps, it is. Many of the new dental apps, such as Time2Brush, have a timer designed to help parents effortlessly extend brushing time for their kids. Dental apps have great visuals and fun mini games, kids will learn without even realizing it, which is the best type of education available.

The Disney Magic Timer App by Oral-B is one of such Apps that encourages children to brush by challenging them to complete two minutes of brushing each and every time they brush. They have incorporated both Disney and Marvel character images into the App and custom animations that can be earned by establishing good brushing habits. The Disney Magic Timer can be synced with your favorite Crest Oral B Pro-Health product for maximum efficiency. Your child simply picks their favorite Disney character and the activities help them brush longer. The two-minute timer app can be downloaded via the Apple App Store on iTunes and on Google Play.

The iPhone and especially the iPad have proven themselves to be great tools for educating children in all areas. Many of the apps that are available are like an interactive book, with mini games incorporated into them, that increase awareness about key dental health tips such as brushing, flossing, eating healthy foods and visiting the dentist. Some currently available dental apps that are easy to use and motivate kids to care for their teeth are as follows:

Toothsavers Brushing Game Featuring a fun and colorful design, the free mobile game inspires kids to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day, and calls on kids to be heroes. In a timed, brushing game, they can save 10 characters in a fairy tale kingdom from an evil, cavity-creating sorceress.

Disney Magic Timer App by Oral B, as described above, encourages children to brush by challenging they to complete two minutes of brushing each and every time.

Puppy Dentist If your child is a dog-lover Puppy Dentist will allow your child the opportunity to be the dentist. This app features bright illustrations and adorable dog graphics, the perfect form of educational entertainment. Your child will perform dental treatments from brushing away germs to annihilating bacteria and decay with laser beams!

Chomper Chums Targeted to ages 4 to 11, Chomper Chums helps teach children proper oral hygiene and encourage them to practice it using three friendly characters — a horse, a lion and an alligator. After creating a profile by selecting a Chomper Chum character and naming him or her, users begin to practice brushing, flossing and rinsing.

For additional options, simply type in the word “dental” at the App Store and you can see a wide variety of Apps available for both children and adults of all ages. Also consider visiting 2min2x.org, which offers a collection of free, two minute videos that feature well known characters from children’s shows and networks.

Remember to call your dentist or orthodontist to schedule a consultation for all your specific dental needs.