The Flutter Blog is Full of Tooth Fairy Tales

Want to learn more about the Tooth Fairy? Did you know that the Tooth Fairy collects over 300,000 teeth per night! Wow! That’s a lot of teeth! Did you ever wonder where all those teeth go? You can find that out and more when you read our Tooth Fairy tales on the FlutterBlog.

This section of the Tooth Fairy Blog is about inspiring children in different ways to take care of their healthy teeth with proper oral hygiene.

Best Tooth Brushing Videos for Kids

Healthy Teeth/Oral Hygiene Tooth Fairy Blog | Flutterpop
03 Oct
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Do you know how many times a day you need to brush your teeth? Everyone needs to brush twice a day! Most of us brush our teeth once in the morning and then right before bed. Brushing teeth is super important because it cleans away all the gunk and germs that like to live in our mouths. If you don’t brush properly, those germs can dig into your teeth and cause cavities! Cavities are yucky little holes in your teeth that have to be fixed at the dentist.

So now you know why your mom, dad, and dentist all tell you to brush your teeth every day. Do you know who else loves nice clean teeth? The tooth fairy!! As the tooth fairy’s special consultants, we here at FlutterPop have talked to the tooth fairy personally about this very important topic, and clean teeth are a must for great tooth fairy rewards.

Where Can I Learn How to Brush My Teeth?

It’s not only important to brush your teeth twice a day, but you also have to do a good job and brush them properly. That means brushing all over each tooth and brushing for 2 whole minutes every time. The yucky gunk on teeth, called plaque, likes to hide out in spots that are easy to miss with a toothbrush. But that plaque is no match for you if you know where to find it!

Your parents should have taught you how to brush your teeth already, and they might still help you once a day. If they do help you, make sure you follow directions so that your teeth are nice and clean for your dentist visits! We know that learning how to brush your teeth from mom and dad can be a little boring, so we looked for some fun tooth brushing videos that you can watch with their permission.

PBS shows are some of our favorites for learning about all kinds of new things. Sesame Street’s Elmo and Daniel Tiger each have their own video for brushing teeth. Do a fun dance with Elmo while he sings and brushes with all kinds of different friends! Go on a bubbly make believe journey with Daniel Tiger before he brushes his teeth to get ready for school. Daniel uses a timer to make sure he brushes for a whole 2 minutes. Do you have a timer for brushing your teeth?

Do you watch Blippi videos? We can’t get enough of Blippi’s silly and exciting ways of making learning fun. Blippi teaches kids about all kinds of things, so of course he made a song about brushing teeth! Check it out and let us know if you like this one. Blippi’s song is exactly 2 minutes long, so you can brush your teeth for the right amount of time while you listen to it!

Super Simple is a great website for parents and kids that makes learning fun. The Super Simple Monsters star in a music video about brushing your teeth. Does your family like the Super Simple songs? You can even download a coloring page about brushing your teeth if your parents say it’s okay!

We found another song that teaches all about brushing your teeth the right way by Kids Learning Videos. This song is 2 minutes long, too!

These videos aren’t just fun songs with our favorite characters. When you listen to the words and watch the video, you’ll see just the right way to take care of your teeth. Make sure to use just a little bit of toothpaste, brush twice a day for 2 minutes each time, and move your toothbrush up and down, side to side, and round and round over all of your teeth!

Brushing teeth the right way is the best way to have great dental checkups. If you want to see more videos and other helpful ideas for taking care of your teeth, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Everything You Need to Know About Losing Teeth

Healthy Teeth/Oral Hygiene Tooth Fairy Blog | Flutterpop Tooth Fairy Tips
28 Aug
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Why Do Baby Teeth Fall Out?

Have you lost your first tooth yet? If yes, congratulations! You’re on your way to growing big, strong, permanent teeth that will help you talk and chew for the rest of your life. Doesn’t it seem strange that we only have baby teeth for a little while, but we have adult teeth forever? It’s really all about size and growth. Babies are tiny, so those first teeth need to be small enough to fit in a baby’s mouth. Did you know that we are born with all of our baby teeth already inside our gums? Babies grow pretty fast from birth until they are little kids starting school, and that’s about when baby teeth start coming out.

Can you imagine how silly your smile might be if you still had tiny little front teeth at age 10 or 11? Permanent teeth are bigger to fit the mouth you’ll have as a grownup. Baby teeth have short roots that hold them in place. These roots are strong enough while mouths are small, but once the permanent teeth form under the gums and your mouth gets bigger, those short roots aren’t long enough to keep the tooth in place. The tooth gets loose, the root starts to dissolve, and the permanent tooth starts pushing up into the mouth all at the same time. Permanent teeth have long, strong roots that help them stay put for your whole life. Ask your dentist if you can look at your X-ray pictures and see the difference in roots from your baby teeth to your adult teeth.

Does it Hurt When Teeth Come Out?

Even though baby tooth roots are short and not designed to last forever, they still have a job to do while the tooth is in your mouth. If you tug or wiggle a tooth that isn’t ready to come out, that root is still holding strong, and you might hurt yourself. The best plan of action when a tooth starts to get loose is to be patient and keep wiggling it. Eventually, the roots will know that their job is done, and the tooth will come all the way out.

It can be frustrating to wait for a tooth to come all the way out. Sometimes it might get really hard to eat or talk, or the new tooth might be pushing in and the baby tooth is really in the way. If you have to pull a tooth out by force, it might hurt for a moment, and you might taste some blood for a little while. In these cases, it’s best if your parents can help you. Also, get a wet washcloth ready to bite once the tooth is out to help stop the bleeding. Swish warm salt-water in your mouth a few times before bed, and it should start to feel better in the morning.

The baby molars that come in later are meant to stick around a little longer, and they are bigger teeth with bigger roots. These teeth will hurt a little more coming out. In fact, sometimes the dentist will pull these teeth for you to help make room for your growing permanent molars. If the dentist does this, he or she might give you some medicine to numb your mouth. The numb feeling will go away after a few hours, but you have to be careful not to bite your tongue or cheek before that!

Why Do I Have to Take Care of Baby Teeth?

If baby teeth are going to fall out anyway, why is it important to brush and floss? Almost every kid asks this question, and it’s a good one! Even though baby teeth will come out, they are very important while you have them. Baby teeth help you chew and talk, and they hold a place in your mouth for the permanent teeth that will replace them. If you don’t take care of the teeth you have while they are still working hard for you, that can cause big trouble.

When baby teeth get cavities, it can hurt to chew, but it can also make you sick. When teeth have infections, those germs can go down into the gums and get into your blood and your nerves. This can really hurt, and it can also give you a fever. It’s possible to get cavities even if you are really good at brushing and flossing, but taking care of your teeth is still the best way to prevent them. If you do get a cavity, your dentist will clean out all the dirt and then put in a filling that stops the cavity from getting any worse.

If a baby tooth comes out too early, maybe because you had an accident that knocked it out, the permanent tooth might not be in the right place under the gums just yet. What can happen in that case is that the other teeth will move a little bit into the empty space, and all the permanent teeth under your gums in that area will get shifted out of place. This can cause your adult teeth to grow in too close together in some spots. When permanent teeth grow in a little out of place, which can happen to anyone, the dentist will send you to an orthodontist to get braces that move all the teeth into straight rows.

Hopefully, you’re quickly becoming a pro at losing teeth and patiently waiting for your permanent teeth. We know how hard it is to eat pizza without those front teeth! Make sure you keep brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist to keep both your baby teeth and permanent teeth strong and healthy!  

FlutterPop is invested in creating healthy teeth habits as early as possible. If you are as excited as we are about caring for teeth in the digital age, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

What You Need to Know When Losing Your First Tooth

Healthy Teeth/Oral Hygiene Tooth Fairy Blog | Flutterpop Tooth Fairy Tips
14 Aug
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You Lost Your First Tooth. Now What?

Oh no! You bit into that juicy apple and instead of a satisfying crunch, your front tooth started to wiggle, wobble, and dance around. Now it won’t sit still when you’re eating or playing. Don’t worry! Not only is this normal, but it’s an exciting part of growing up. You’re taking the first step toward your forever teeth, just like the strong, reliable pearly-white chompers your parents use every day. Plus, a loose tooth means that soon, you’ll have a special visitor, someone who wants to make your mouth a little more magical: the Tooth Fairy! 

Doorway to the Fairy World

We meet with the Tooth Fairy every day, and she said we could let you in on a little secret: every kid has his or her own personal door into the fairy realm. There’s one with your name in glittery gold right now. It appeared when you were born, and it’s been closed and locked ever since. But guess what? Now it’s open, and it’s all because of your lost tooth. As soon as your first tooth pops out, your fairy world door swings wide open so that the Tooth Fairy can visit your house. She has a pile of treasures with your name on it, and if you follow these instructions carefully, you’ll soon find one of them in your room.

How to Welcome the Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy might have an open doorway to your room, but she can’t pass through until there’s a tooth waiting for her on the other side. However, there’s good news! You have that tooth with you. You kept it healthy and you were brave when it fell out, so the Tooth Fairy wants to reward you. Here’s how you can prepare for her visit:

  1. Keep your lost tooth safe! Put it somewhere you won’t forget it, like in a keepsake box, until it’s bedtime.
  2. Before bed, brush your teeth and floss. The Tooth Fairy loves a clean mouth. 
  3. Carefully place your tooth under your pillow, or in your special tooth pillow. This will make it easy for the Tooth Fairy to find. 
  4. Go to sleep! We know it’s exciting to wait for her, but the Tooth Fairy won’t come unless she knows you’re asleep.

That’s not so hard, is it? Follow these steps exactly and soon you’ll have a magical guest with a gift to leave behind.

Check Your Pillow!

When you wake up, your tooth will be gone. The Tooth Fairy keeps all baby teeth stored safely away for you, and in return, she leaves you a gift. Check under your pillow or in your tooth pillow to see what she left. And if you want to thank her, you can write her a letter. We know her pretty well, so we can make sure that she gets it. Even though she’s really busy, she always takes time to respond.

Keeping the Tooth Fairy Happy

You did it! You lost a tooth, you kept it safe, and you welcomed the Tooth Fairy. She’s proud of you, and so are your parents. Now, it’s time to get ready for her next visit. Because this is only the beginning. Your door to the fairy world is still open, which means that you’re going to lose more teeth and visit with the Tooth Fairy plenty more times. She loves finding strong, shiny teeth when she stops by, so make sure that you take good care of them for her. This means having a healthy teeth routine. The Tooth Fairy will be watching from Fairyland, smiling and cheering whenever she sees you brushing, flossing, and rinsing. And next time she comes, there will be another perfect white tooth waiting for her.

While you wait, you can see what the Tooth Fairy’s up to by asking your parents to check out Flutterpop’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. 

Taking Care of Kids’ Teeth (For Parents)

Healthy Teeth/Oral Hygiene Tooth Fairy Blog | Flutterpop
08 Aug
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When Should I Start Brushing My Baby’s Teeth?

Since babies are born with all 20 baby teeth already in their jaws, it’s important to practice good oral health habits from the very start. A healthy mouth is the foundation for healthy teeth. Care for your infant’s gums by gently wiping his mouth with a clean wet cloth. Because bacteria are easily passed orally, don’t let anyone come into mouth to mouth contact with your infant. When baby starts teething, give her a teething toy that also incorporates a training toothbrush.

Once your baby has several teeth and the ability to sit up, you can brush with a wet soft-bristled brush. Introduce training fluoride-free training toothpaste once your young toddler can follow directions enough to let you brush and practice spitting. As your child develops the skills to hold a toothbrush and spit used toothpaste into the sink, allow him to brush on his own, but follow up and talk about what spots need more practice. 

Flossing will take some time and patience, but the rewards will be well worth it when dental visits go well. If you start talking about the tooth fairy while your kids are learning to care for their teeth, be sure to remind them that the tooth fairy needs to collect shiny healthy teeth in order to give the best rewards!

When Should My Child See a Dentist?

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), babies should visit the dentist by their first birthday, or when the first tooth erupts. This first visit gives your child’s dentist a chance to help her get comfortable with dentistry, and your dentist will also take time to talk to you about your child’s oral health and how you can commit to best practices.

Be sure to keep talk about dental visits positive. Sometimes parents who are frustrated by the process of keeping their kids’ teeth properly brushed will talk about scraping, cavities, and drills to scare their kids into better brushing. This kind of talk can make kids fear the dentist, which leads to difficult visits. Instead, talk about how well-brushed teeth make dental visits easy breezy. Remind your kids that they get fun prizes for a great check-up. Also feel free to tell your kids that their dentist sends regular reports to the tooth fairy. The tooth fairy gives the best rewards for sparkling clean teeth, so that should be good motivation to stay on top of good oral health.

Teaching Great Teeth Habits

By starting great oral healthcare during your child’s infancy, you’ll set the stage for great long-term habits. Remember to never let your baby go to sleep with a bottle in his or her crib, as the liquids can pool in the mouth and cause problems. Avoid introducing sugar to your children for as long as possible, and if it becomes inevitable, keep sugary treats to a minimum. Be honest with your kids with age appropriate language about how sugar can harm their teeth.

Help your kids brush twice a day, and never allow any snacks or drinks after bedtime brushing. Let your kids watch you brush and floss your own teeth to teach by example. If your child is old enough to sit still for 30 minutes, bring him or her along on your dental checkup to show that everyone does it.

Visit our shop to find great books that help your kids become comfortable with losing teeth and excited about the tooth fairy’s first visit. In our post about where all those teeth go, we shared some ideas about why the tooth fairy collects teeth, and they all require healthy clean teeth. Feel free to use one of those ideas to help encourage your kids to keep their teeth strong and healthy. We are always here for you, so make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram so we can help you stay motivated on the path to great pediatric oral health.

FlutterPop is invested in creating healthy teeth habits as early as possible. For more information, tips, and ideas, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Taking Care of Your Teeth (For Kids)

Healthy Teeth/Oral Hygiene Kids Tooth Fairy Blog | Flutterpop
03 Jul
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Why Do I Need to Brush My Teeth?

If you’ve already lost a few teeth, you might be starting to wonder why your parents and your dentist care so much about taking care of baby teeth that are all just going to fall out anyway. It seems like a lot of trouble for teeth that won’t last forever, right?

Well, that’s not exactly right. Your baby teeth are really important while you have them. Not only that, but they are actually pretty helpful to the permanent teeth that are coming next. Also, the tooth fairy has some pretty high expectations for what baby teeth should look like at collection time.

The truth is that you need to take really good care of your baby teeth until they are ready to come out on their own. By brushing twice a day and flossing, you’ll help to keep away the germs that cause cavities. Cavities happen when little germs dig into your teeth and make a hole. They can be painful, and they can make you sick. If you have an accident and lose a tooth before the new tooth is ready to come in, your other teeth can get confused and move around where they shouldn’t. Finally, we’ve heard the tooth fairy always gives the best rewards for sparkling clean teeth.

Why Do I Need to Go to the Dentist?

Going to the dentist is just as important as keeping your baby teeth healthy and clean. Dentists are doctors who went to a special school to learn all about teeth and oral – that means mouth – health. Dentists have special tools to help them check for cavities, and they take really cool X-rays that let them see your teeth through your cheeks and even inside your gums!

We know it’s not the most fun to keep your mouth open while someone touches your teeth, but dentists have a really important job to do. Your dentist will talk to you and your parents about your teeth and keep an eye on how your permanent teeth are growing in. We happen to have it on special authority that dentists are also known to send reports to the tooth fairy! This helps the tooth fairy keep track of teeth that are loose so she can be ready to visit.

Out With the Old, In With the New…Teeth!

When your baby teeth start wiggling around, that’s how you’ll know they are getting ready to come out. Don’t pull too hard on them if they aren’t very loose yet, or you might hurt yourself. Just keep wiggling it, and pretty soon, it will be ready to fall all the way out. If you taste a little bit of blood, that’s okay. Just press gently on your open space with a wet washcloth and swish some warm salt water that day.

Make sure to tell your mom and dad when you lose a tooth! They’ll help you get it ready for the tooth fairy. Hopefully, you’ve been taking great care of your teeth, and the tooth fairy can give you one of the best rewards for a clean and shiny tooth. We have some ideas (link to blog on what does TF do with all those teeth) about why the tooth fairy might need such clean teeth; what are your ideas?

Your permanent tooth should start poking through your gums soon after you lose the baby tooth. If it hurts, be sure to tell your parents, in case they need to give you medicine or take you to the dentist. Make sure to take great care of that new tooth, since it’s the one you’ll have forever!

If you want to keep learning about all the Tooth Fairy news we have, ask your parents to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

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