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Sometimes little ones, and even no-so-little ones, flat out refuse to brush their teeth on their own or allow a parent to do it for them.

Unfortunately, tooth brushing is a nonnegotiable task for healthy children. And twice daily meltdowns over the subject aren’t fun for anyone, so we did a little research.

We found 6 funky toothbrushes to get kids excited about brushing!

GUM® Star Wars Light Saber Toothbrush

This product is perfect for the mini Jedi in your life! The brush is in the shape of a light saber and comes in three unique designs: Anakin Skywalker (blue stem), Darth Vader (red stem) and Yoda (green stem). The light saber flashes for 1 minute at a time to encourage kids to brush for longer.

You Get:

12 toothbrushes per bag

$29.29 per bag ($2.44 per toothbrush)

Batteries are included

GUM® Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush

Similar to the Star Wars Light Saber Toothbrush, the Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush is the perfect choice for any child. Who doesn’t love to color? The brush’s LED lights flash for 1 minute at a time to encourage longer brushing. Additionally, the brushes come with countertop suction cup holders that will keep their bristles cleaner. Four colors are included: Green, blue, yellow and red.

You Get:

12 toothbrushes per bag

$27.79 per bag ($2.32 per toothbrush)

Infant Finger Toothbrush

Designed for adults to gently clean their infant’s gums, this latex-free product is fascinating. Simply slip this thimble-esque finger topper on and remove plaque from your child’s gums and/or erupting baby teeth. While your child may not be excited about brushing just yet, it’s important to form a mouth-cleaning routine as early as possible.

You Get:

12 toothbrushes per pack

$11.99 per pack ($1.00 per toothbrush)

6 pink and 6 blue toothbrushes per pack

RinserBrush

It’s a toothbrush and a water fountain all in one! Eliminate paper cups and wasted water, and quit putting your head in the sink by investing in one of these! Kids will love the fountain aspect, and you’ll love the reduced counter clutter! Also, the bristle section is replaceable, so you won’t have to throw out the entire brush every three months!

You Get:

1 toothbrush and 1 replacement head

$8.99 per order

ARM & HAMMER TOOTH TUNES

Pick your child’s brush based on their music taste! Then, songs will play for 2 minutes directly into their head while they brush (assuming they’re using the correct method)! Electric toothbrushes can get kids excited about brushing on their own, and when you combine one such brush with One Direction or Kidz Bop, then your child is bound to love it!

Upon reading reviews for this product, several buyers complained that there’s no way to replace its battery and that the battery lifespan was short. While this certainly sounds like a great product, you may want to further research it before purchasing.

You Get:

1 toothbrush

$10.07

Batteries are included

Philips Sonicare HX6311

The Sonicare for Kids electric toothbrush is a top-rated option, according to internet reviews. The toothbrush chimes musically at 30-second intervals to let kids know when to brush another quadrant of their mouths. The high-tech product is also designed to connect to your smart devices and play animations to entertain your child during their 2-minute brush time via a free, interactive app.

You Get:

1 rechargeable toothbrush

$39.95

Batteries are included

We hope that one of these products will make your life a little easier and that your child learns to love keeping his or her mouth healthy!

Being a parent oftentimes means that you give up having fun, adult plans of your own in order to go to kid-centric events. But what if there were activities in your area that both you and your child would enjoy?

There are! With you in mind, we’ve rounded up 5 events happening in and around St. Louis that parents will want to take their kids to.

Winter Movie Night

When: 6 p.m. on January 13

Where: Ballpark Village in St. Louis (an indoor event)

Price: Free

OK, OK, so this one is technically categorized as a kids’ event. But honestly, who doesn’t like minions?

Ballpark Village is in the middle of its family-friendly movie night series and offers an entirely free experience. At 5 p.m., attendees can participate in movie-related activities. Free bags of popcorn are also provided in exchange for filled out data cards.

Loop Ice Carnival

When: January 15-16

Where: January 15 – Moonrise Hotel; January 16 – The Delmar Loop Neighborhood in St. Louis

Price: Free (Saturday activities)

From 7-11 p.m. on January 15, the Snow Ball takes place at the Moonrise Hotel. The iciest-dressed couple will be named Ice King and Queen. Ice carving demos, stilt walkers, fire performers and more will be in attendance the next day. Note that the majority of Saturday’s activities are held outdoors, so dress warmly!

Arctic Cat Nitro Arenacross Tour

When: February 5-6

Where: Family Arena in St. Charles

The tour is the largest indoor motocross tour in the U.S. and is packed with action and adrenaline! Flips, jumps, lasers and lights and a country music artist performance are all part of the experience. A child gets free admission with one paid upper-level, general admission adult ticket on Friday night.

L’École Culinaire Kids Cooking Class

When: February 6

Where: L’École Culinaire – St. Louis Campus

Price: $50

The cooking school offers monthly classes for children (prices vary by month, too). The February class is “Chocolate Basics” – just in time for your child to help you make some sweet treats for Valentine’s Day! But after eating the sweets, remember to drink some water!

Ice Skating in Creve Coeur

When: Public Sessions every day

Where: Creve Coeur Ice Arena in Dielmann Recreation Complex

Price: $3 for residents, $5 for nonresidents (Skate rental is $2 for everyone)

The Ice Arena is open year-round and is a fun, winter activity for all ages. In addition to Public Sessions, multiple classes are offered for kids and adults alike.

We hope that your entire family enjoys these activities and this winter season!

One sip of coffee fresh from the pot or a taste of soup straight from the slow cooker can burn your mouth instantly. And unfortunately, kids aren’t known for taking dainty bites or sips.

If your child gets their hands on a hot food or beverage and indulges immediately, they could be hurt.

Luckily, most of these injuries aren’t serious. But, for a child who hasn’t experienced a minor burned mouth before or doesn’t understand what’s going on, it can feel very serious.

Prevent a more serious burn and additional discomfort for your child by acting quickly. Follow these 6 steps to sooth your child’s burned tongue or mouth!

The most common burn injury in kids that are 6 months to years old is a scald from hot foods or drinks. Since it’s such a regular incident, there are plenty of home remedies and treatments available to sooth your child’s burned tongue or mouth.

See our recommended steps below.

1. First, get the hot food or liquid out of their mouth and wiped off their face immediately to prevent serious injuries.

2. Give your child something cold to suck on to alleviate the pain, like ice or a Popsicle.

3. Evaluate the severity of the burn and determine if your child needs medical attention. If medical treatment is required, take them to the emergency room as quickly as possible. If not, continue with these steps.

4. Have him or her drink something that will coat their mouth and grant another layer of relief, like milk.

5. Clearly explain to them what happened, why it happened and how they can prevent it from happening in the future.

6. Finally, let the healing happen. Over the counter anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers can be given to them with discretion.

Then, monitor your child’s food and drink intake for a week or so after the burn occurs. Steer them away from hard, crunchy food or hot foods and drinks, as they can irritate or scrape the already sensitive skin and cause more pain.

If a mouth burn happens before one of your child’s biannual checkups, inform their dentist. The dentist can then take special care around that area of your child’s mouth.

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is the act of unconsciously grinding or clenching your upper and lower teeth together. And, about a third of all kids grind their teeth at some point during their childhood.

Infants, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly are all perceptible to it, so why does it happen? How can you stop the habit before it does any damage?

What to Look For

Since teeth grinding is done unconsciously and mostly at night, knowing if your child or teenager is doing it is half the battle.

The most common giveaways are if they complain of a sore jaw, tooth sensitivity or if they often find evidence of having bitten the inside of their cheek. Another symptom is a constant, dull headache.

In severe, uncorrected cases, it can wear away your child’s primary and permanent teeth or cause their teeth to misalign. If misalignment is left unchecked, then it can lead to gum disease.

Common Causes of Teeth Grinding

An infant grinding their teeth is natural once enough teeth erupt to touch together. The phenomenon of having teeth is a new to your baby, so seeing what they can do is normal.

Children getting their permanent teeth will often do the same thing, since one cause of bruxism is gum discomfort.

Bruxism can also be brought on by stress, sleep disorders, earaches or as a side effect of certain medications.

What You Can Do

If your child is grinding their teeth while they’re in the process of getting their primary or permanent teeth, then don’t worry. Children generally stop on their own with no damage to their teeth.

In the meantime, to treat any discomfort as a result of bruxism, put a warm washcloth on your child’s cheek in front of their earlobe before bedtime to relax their muscles. You can try the same thing with a warm washcloth over their entire face.

At their next dentist checkup, tell your child’s doctor about the grinding or clenching so that they can pay special attention in the future to any signs of excessive wear or fractures. If your child is showing serious signs of teeth grinding, then immediately call your dentist. Then, the dentist may fit them with a mouthguard or a dental splint.

Both fit over your child’s upper or lower teeth and are worn at night to protect their teeth from being damaged.