Ok, I will be honest. Until recently, brushing my toddler’s teeth hasn’t been the easiest task. She greatly disliked it, even though she helped pick our the Tigger and Pooh brushes. It was such a battle of wills, and although I usually won, it still was a generally unpleasant task. Thankfully, it has become easier as she grows older, but I can empathize with parents who do struggle with the routine each day.

Enter: Apps.  Oral-B and many other companies have produced timed apps that will entertain children for the recommended 2 minutes it takes to brush their teeth. These apps also have alerts to brush each day, fun characters that children can remember and look forward to seeing.

The techy side of me likes to see the positive use of apps, and teaching dental health to children is important, and if an app will acheive that goal, I’m all for it.

But on the other hand, I hesitate to have my babies and toddlers watching the screen for something as routine as brushing their teeth. My worry is that we have become (or can quickly become) too reliant on a screen to make regular life bearable. We have not used an app yet, and instead try to sing silly songs or jingles to encourage the activities.

What are your thoughts on the use of such apps? Have they worked for you?