Share your memories of teeth cleaning as a child and Tooth Fairy tales with Bupa: you could win £500 of dental vouchers NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at Bupa to find out your views and memories of teeth cleaning when you were a child and your Tooth Fairy tales.

They ask "what do you remember your parents telling you when you were little about the importance of brushing your teeth? We'd love to know your anecdotes and memories. Did you sing a song together? Perhaps you played a game to make it more fun. Did you get told any stories about the Tooth Fairy? Do you use any of the same methods to get your DC to make sure they are brushing their teeth properly?"

Bupa has created a fairy tale video telling the story of what happens to teeth when they are collected by the Tooth Fairy. Parents can personalise the video, which includes their DC name and picture to help them keep their teeth nice and clean. Why not start by creating one for your child and inspiring them to look after their teeth?

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win £500 of dental vouchers for the whole family.

You can have an extra chance to win by creating your own child’s video where you'll be given the chance to enter a competition (see link here).

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[Thurlow]

We use an electric toothbrush for our toddler, which has made a big difference as she thinks it is fun and agrees to use it quite readily. It also means I feel more confident that some cleaning might actually happen if she attempts to brush her teeth herself.

We have to sign "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" when we clean her teeth. I have no idea why

[MadMonkeys]

I just remember those awful drinks we had to have which show up any unbrushed bits on your teeth... I hated them!

[AndHarry]

I remember sitting on the edge of the bath with my brother while my parents cleaned our teeth. One time a tooth fell out while my dad was brushing and I couldn't tell him because my mouth was full of toothpaste and a toothbrush so I swallowed it: no tooth fairy money for that one! My brother and I used to sneak into the bathroom while our mum was vacuuming and take it in turns to eat the toothpaste (Milk Teeth) :o

[Pinkandpurplehairedlady]

My parents never really emphasised tooth brushing which is partly why I have bad teeth now. I'm determined that my children won't have the same problems so I try hard to make teeth brushing fun. They have electric toothbrushes and I sign silly songs whilst they are brushing.

[Dolallytats]

I don't remember any issues around teeth brushing when I was little. I do remember loving it when we got to chew those blue tablets every so often!!

With DS(6), he is a very reluctant teeth brusher so really needs encouraging. Sometimes we sing Raa Raa the Noisy Lion-once for top and once for bottom teeth. Either that or we count to 100 for top and again for bottom.

[teddygirlonce]

No no particular emphasis on tooth-brushing here either. We only used to brush our teeth once a day I'm sure (at bedtime).

Had to have a baby tooth out as a 6 year old - not a nice experience as I had to have it done under general anaesthetic.

Yes, yes to the tablets that show up the non-cleaned bits....You can still buy them in Boots - we've used them with our DCs...not sure if it's really brought the message home though....

[WowOoo]

I remember my grandfather showing me a rotten tooth. He told me this is what would happen if I didn't brush them enough.
I think I went through a phase of brushing them about 5 times a day after that.
I loved those plaque showing tablets too. Can you buy them? I used to love that smell.

[07oakeyJ]

I loved those tablets that would show if you'd brushed your teeth properly, my sister and I would intentionally not brush them properly then it would look really horrible when we ate them!
With my own I've had lots of times with two toothbrushes on the go! They wanted to do it themselves so we would take it in turns

[monkeyplastic]

I remember pretending to brush my teeth alot when I was little. When I was given a "special" sweet at the dentist and was caught out when most of my teeth turned blue to show the areas I had not brushed!

[WarmHugs]

My Mum used to sing the same songs to me that I new sing to my own DC. Mum just made it fun. My Dad was like Hitler and would do a daily inspection and breath test. I hated it. I used to rub toothpaste around my mouth instead of brushing, just so I felt I got one up on him. Mums approach worked much better.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

I used to get a 'special' toothbrush in my stocking (normal ones replaced throughout the rest of the year) as the tooth fairy told Father Christmas how good my teeth were.

With my kids (3 and 1) we brush their teeth then they get to have a go making ahhhh eeeee noises

Definitely going to make that tooth fairy video - thanks!

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

I just wanted to check - with the photo and name being provided for the personalised video what will be done with the photo/ name? Will bupa use them in advertisement without my knowledge/consent?
Can't understand the terms of use

[Holfin]

When I was little we did the little experiment where you put one tooth that has fallen out in a cup of milk and one in a cup of fizzy drink. After that I always made an extra effort with my teeth cleaning. I am not sure to this day if my mum doctored the one tooth to make it look extra grim

[missorinoco]

We were rubbish! We only had to clean our teeth in the morning, I hadn't heard of the concept of cleaning them at night, and we had loads of sugary drinks, hence my metal mouth.
The tooth fairy came and paid up when we lost a tooth, can't remember much more about her.

I can remember having to dip my toothbrush snd toothpaste in hydrogen peroxide as my Mum thought my teeth were yellow. Bleugh.

[Prawnskewer]

I don't remember much about tooth brushing when I was a kid which as others have said above, might suggest why my teeth aren't great.

With my DS, we've started tooth brushing as soon as his teeth have popped, we brush for him but then give him the toothbrush so he can aswell. He then 'brushes' our teeth after, very cute!

[sharond101]

My family were big on the disclosing tablets and I thought it was great as a kid to race my SIster to getting my teeth all sparkly clean. We weren't allowed some sweets so as to protect our teeth and we were always reminded how Gran and Papa had false teeth and how disgusting it was when they took them out.

My DS is big on looking "gorgeous" and brushing his teeth means I tell him he is "gorgeous" which he loves.

[Hopezibah]

I wish we had been taught properly to brush teeth. I just remember the whole thing about only needing a 'pea' sized amount of toothpaste so it made me think less is better.

I spent years scrubbing at my teeth with water and not much toothpaste - i ended up scrubbing my gums away and rubbing away my tooth enamel.

I now use plenty of toothpaste and have had far healthier teeth.

I remember begging my mum to tell me the truth about tooth fairy saying i'd never forgive her if i grew up and found she lied to me. She did tell me the truth but then i didn't dare ask about santa after that!

[dahKill]

My parents didn't do anything unfortunately, it was only through school that I learned about oral hygiene. I am still paying for my poor oral hygiene as a kid.

[nastiesandnightmares]

My mum was very big on teeth cleaning when we were young, we weren't allowed anything sweet or sugary apart from a small morsel of chocolate after dinner followed by a piece of cheese to help neutralise any acid.
I remember once we had dentists visit us at school, afterwards I was waiting for my mum in the car and snuck a Werther's Original but she came back before I had a chance to finish it so I quickly crunched it up and swallowed it. Unfortunately she decided to look at my teeth and the back ones were coated in sweet! She asked me what it was and I said it was a special treatment the dentist put on! She was furious and went off to find the dentist, luckily he'd already gone but my mum still doesn't know the truth to this day!!
I am quite strict with teeth cleaning, we polish them for the tooth fairy's castle and I do give the dc cheese after their dinner aswell.

[SixImpossible]

We had an electric toothbrush - mains powered! I did not know anyone else who had one, and my friends were fascinated by it. We would brush all the dolls' teeth with it.

Mum didn't understand the Tooth Fairy (not part of her culture). She heard about it from other mums, and tried, but did not get it right. Instead of doing the whole tooth-under-the-pillow thing, she would just give us some money and put the tooth in her memory box.

[thewomaninwhite]

We had those disclosure tablets too and some multi coloured dental supplements. I liked the pink cherry ones best. Not sure what they were when I think of it now!

I do worry about how well my children clean their teeth. All seems fine so far in terms of dentist stuff but they are not great. Electric toothbrushes don't work here for them but we have them as adults.

[FinDeSemaine]

We had some awful powder mouthwash thing called Bocasan (?) which tasted disgusting. It's poisonous. My dad used to give use too much and we used to swallow some and swig some more water to get rid of the awful taste. It was horrible.

[FinDeSemaine]

Used to give US too much, sorry.

[mawbroon]

Big emphasis on toothbrushing in our house. I was free of fillings until I was in my 30s.

We brushed our teeth and kept our toothbrushes in the kitchen though. I never did understand what that was about. Everyone else in the world brushed their teeth in the bathroom.....

[Tyranasaurus]

I don't remember tooth brushing much. I do remember going to the dentist and always being surprised that he knew I'd had a pack of crisps at break time :)