Why Is It 2 Minutes Toothbrushing Time?

Brush with a Brush-Baby toothbrush for two minutes two times a day for healthy milk teeth. Many of our kids electric toothbrushes even have a built in toothbrush timer!

‘How long is two minutes and why do we ideally have to brush our teeth for two minutes?’ We’re sure that this question has been posed in every bathroom across the land at some stage. But how many of us know the answer? 

Encouraging your little ones to use their childrens toothbrush for 2 minutes is so important because it helps keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Well here’s the information so that you can be a legend in your own bathroom!

A 2 minute childrens toothbrushing routine ensures the following:

• Cleans ALL the surfaces of EACH tooth and ensures an optimal uptake of fluoride which helps protect it against decay
• Prevents plaque build-up, which can eat away at tooth enamel and damage gums
• Lowers the risk of gum disease (it’s important to clean the gumline where the gums and teeth meet)

Now here’s the science bit:

• Studies(*) show that increasing toothbrushing time from 45 seconds to 2 minutes may remove up to 26% more plaque

Most people usually brush for about 45 seconds.  We’ve all been guilty of doing it.  A cursory brush on the front teeth and a wipe across the back ones, but if you really do it properly, two minutes divided into 30 seconds per quadrant of the mouth (think of the clock on Channel 4’s ‘Countdown!’) is not much to ask for.

 

Brush Baby Kids Electric Toothbrush

Two minutes may feel like ‘forever’ to children so Brush-Baby's KidzSonic electric toothbrushes for kids have flashing lights and internal  timers that keep kids entertained while helping to teach toothbrushing.

Each time the integral timer 'hiccups' (it pulses every 30 seconds) so that kids know it's time to move on to a different quadrant of the mouth ensuring that each and every tooth gets the correct amount of attention.

After 2 minutes the KidzSonic kids toothbrush stops. Easy! This makes them a great toothbrush for toddlers as it indicates to them how long they’ve got left to brush in a kid-friendly way!

This should help, but why not try brushing your teeth at the same time as your children. They just LOVE copying you and you can then help them as they won't be able to brush their teeth properly until they are 6 years old. Make it fun – games, songs, apps and the latest addition to the entertainment options, Tik Tok, can all help!

So the next time your little one complains about brushing their teeth for two minutes, tell them about Xavi Casa.  In January 2009 in Madrid, he stepped over 97 people by bicycle in 2 minutes to complete a Guinness World Record (**) (he actually did 100 but 3 were discounted by he had touched them with part of his body!)  Now what’s it to be, two minutes toothbrushing or 2 minutes bike lifting?! Now that’s something to smile about!

 (*) Source: American Dental Association

(**) Source: Guinness World Records