This story is sponsored by Philips Sonicare through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a story about Philips Sonicare for Kids, all opinions are my own.
He rounded the corner, his legs barely keeping up as he ran out of sight. Moments earlier I had coaxed my son into taking an afternoon nap, promising snuggles in mama’s bed. Elated, he left my side to secure his spot before I could change my mind. In his absence I cherished that simple moment where a three-year-old boy wanted nothing more than to be tucked under his mama’s love. I remember thinking that one day cuddling with his mom would seem asinine. I took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and with a smile that lasted only one moment.
The next breath was exhaled in sharp panic as I heard his curdling screams. My son’s hands covered his face as the blood soaked my white sheets and continued to drip from his mouth to his terror. He had run, face first, into a solid wood nightstand by which nearly knocking his front baby tooth out.
It’s been one month and 3 dentist visits since that super scary afternoon. My little guy managed to salvage the root, but nerve damage has undoubtedly given him a blackened front tooth for the next few years. It’s now pushed back behind the others and has left his perfect baby smile in disarray. Our dentist was also really concerned of the implications this accident caused on our ability to brush his front tooth sufficiently and advised a power toothbrush to minimize the chance of infection. I’m not a particularly vain person, and in the grand scheme of things this is really not that big of a deal, but man I was bummed!
Learning to Love a New Smile
Teeth can be big deal. In part, they’re a tool to tell your story, present your identity and express emotions. I’ve known people who wouldn’t smile big or dine with others because of the way they felt about their smile and teeth. Perhaps as a kid I didn’t appreciate the efforts my parents made to ensure my smile was the best it could be (braces are a pain!), but when I think of my baby boy prematurely losing teeth or enduring treatments to prevent gum infection, I think about how lucky I am to have a healthy smile. And while I’m grateful to have an overall healthy kid, watching his sweet smile slowly turn black from decay really sucks.
So when our pediatric dentist explained that the recessed location of his front tooth makes it prone to plaque build up and suggested a power toothbrush, I rushed to the store the next day.
I wanted something that was specifically for kids, since my older daughter is still learning to brush independently and the Philips Sonicare for Kids power toothbrush seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. The sonic toothbrush is made for kids 3 and up, making it great for our family. Along with Philips Sonicare being known for their awesome, high powered toothbrushes, the kid’s brush comes with built in Bluetooth® wireless technology that connects to an app, rewarding the kids when they’ve brushed long enough and teaching them about healthy oral habits along the way. They adopt a Sparky, who makes brushing fun. It’s totally interactive!
My little dude’s favorite part is all the fun stickers provided to customize his brush. Every day he’s excited to brush his teeth, despite the new sensitivity that’s emerged at his gum line. I’m happy to know the 500 strokes per second is sufficiently cleaning his mouth, but the fact that he’s happy makes tooth brushing less stressful for all of us.
At the end of our day, I’m grateful to have this super active boy in my life. He’s happy and crazy and so fun to love. The day he nearly knocked his tooth out was one of my scariest in motherhood, but it could have been so much worse. I’m even learning to love his blackened tooth for what it symbolizes: a testament to a childhood well lived and a moment where cuddling with his mom in her bed was the only thing he saw in front of him.
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