I Competed The LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge!

Well, I've completed the last day of the LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge and my mouth has never felt cleaner!

While I have always tried to practice good oral hygiene, it certainly didn't hurt me any to participate in this challenge. Having a set schedule of brushing, flossing and using mouthwash made it a lot easier to actually do it every day!

Before I began the LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge, my gums were a bit red and inflamed along the gum line. Thanks to the challenge, that's no longer an issue! I guess I really wasn't taking as good of care of my mouth as I thought I was.

While participating in the challenge, I found that brushing alone actually misses 75% of your mouth! It's no wonder that my gums were inflamed, and that my breath wasn't ever quite as fresh as I would have liked it to be. Actually using mouthwash every day made a difference, even though it was just for 21 days!

Once I signed up for the LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge on Facebook, Angeline and I tried to really stick to our plan. Angeline has weak enamel, so taking good care of her teeth and preventing cavities is especially important for her! She loved the Phineas and Pherb mouthwash, while I preferred the LISTERINE UltraClean myself.

Before participating in the challenge, I'd never used LISTERINE toothpaste. I have to say, the LISTERINE Whitening Original Gel Fluoride Anticavity toothpaste is kind of awesome. It leaves my mouth feeling clean, and combined with the LISTERINE UltraClean mouthwash and flossing, my mouth just feels so much healthier!

While bad habits can be really easy to form, I know it's always a little harder to break them and instill good habits - especially when it comes to something like oral care. I wanted to share a few of the things that have made it easier for us to stick with the challenge!

Tips for Making Brushing 3 Times a Day Easier

• Keep your floss on the bathroom counter so that you don't forget to use it.
• Carry a toothbrush in your purse or backpack so you can brush after eating lunch while on the go!
• Carry dental picks with you in your purse to use after eating out!
• Brush and use mouthwash as soon as you are done eating a meal. If you do it immediately, you will begin to associate eating with brushing and it will naturally become a habit!
• If your child tells you they don't like a certain toothbrush, flavor of mouthwash or toothpaste, keep trying until you find one they like. If they LIKE the product, they will be less likely to fight you on using it!

It's not too late to take your very own LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge! You can get involved by signing up on the LISTERINE Facebook page here!

I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® 21 Day Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.