Are you taking proper care of your children’s teeth? We asked Dr Milad Shadrooh, also known as The Singing Dentist, for his top teeth-brushing tips
Not many kids will think teeth-brushing is a ‘fun’ activity, but Dr Milad Shadrooh, a.k.a. The Singing Dentist, is certainly doing his bit to change that.
The dentist and owner of Chequers Dental in Basingstoke doesn’t just take care of people’s teeth – he has his own YouTube channel, too, on which he’s trying to turn the mundane task of teeth-brushing into an entertaining, musical activity.
READ MORE: British children receive almost £24million each year from the tooth fairy
On his channel, Dr Shadrooh uploads videos of himself singing parodies of popular songs with hilarious lyric changes, including Return Of The Plaque (Return of the Mack, Mark Morrison) and Why Floss (Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled and Rihanna).
And his most notable video, Save Your Tooth – a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You – has so far stacked up over three million views.
“I did a freestyle parody last year randomly at the end of the day in my surgery and sent it to a few friends,” he says.
“They posted it on social media and then it started to get shared. I saw people were enjoying seeing a dentist in a different way, so I thought I could use that as a platform to educate in a fun and positive way… that’s how the Singing Dentist was born.”
As well as using fluoridated toothpaste twice daily, Dr Shadrooh also recommends that parents sing a rhythmic song for two minutes while their children brush, or download one of The Singing Dentist’s YouTube videos.
READ MORE: What are the benefits of teething jewellery?
Here are a few other top tips from The Singing Dentist…
- Brush your child’s teeth for them until the age of seven.
- Don’t brush the teeth until an hour after eating or drinking.
- Use dental apps or even an egg timer to encourage brushing for two minutes.
- Children should consume fizzy drinks, smoothies and juice as a treat, preferably sticking to milk and water at other times.
- If your child does consume fizzy drinks, smoothies and juice, they should be encouraged to do so through a straw (recyclable or paper, of course!).
- Try to restrict fruit juices, smoothies and fizzy drinks to mealtimes. Have them drink water afterwards to wash away the acid.
- Children should avoid taking a bottle or feeder cup to bed, and drinking juices from a feeder cup should be avoided.
Find out more at smilewise.co.uk.
Want more information and inspiration on everything parenting and lifestyle? Just hit ‘Like’ on our Baby Facebook page, and ‘Follow’ on our @BabyMagazineUK Twitter account and you’re all set!
