The four kids and I went to the dentist earlier this week. I’m proud to say that we’re all again members of the “No Cavity Club.” My dentist sticks the kids’ pictures up on a bulletin board for everyone to see. I really like him. He looks like Weird Al Yankovic and has a great sense of humor. I don’t even mind going to the dentist. Of course, I’m not going for a root canal, either. I’ve been blessed with good teeth. A lot of that I owe to my mom. She nursed all of us during a time when it wasn’t popular to breastfeed. And we were not allowed a lot of junk. We had our once a week “Candy Day”. I’ve carried that over to my own. Excepting special occasions like birthdays or a gift, they eat candy on Saturday. And then it’s supposed to be one big piece or two small ones. I say “supposed to be” because sometimes I find wrappers in the boys’ room. But for the most part, they eat well. We don’t do soda, and our water is from a sweet well rather than the chemical-laden stuff most municipalities offer. Three of them have good brushing habits (we’re working on the teenaged boy). So far it’s been effective.
In an effort to encourage these good brushing habits, Colgate and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) have teamed up for Healthy Bedtime Habits for a Lifetime. It’s a program designed to get your children to brush every night before bedtime, and there are incentives to do so. Some of them are online games and activities. They’re geared for the younger crowd, but older kids will have fun with it, too. You can sign them up as long as they’re under 16. After signing up, you get a nightly log (which, of course, brings you back to their site every night). They’ll score a star for brushing, and another for reading. For thirty points, they’ll get a Colgate Powered Character Toothbrush (Spongebob is featured on the site, but I’ve seen several different ones at the store). 
You must complete the log by January 31, so you’ll need to start it by January 16th at the latest. Points are calculated by family rather than individual, so make certain to sign up all your children. It’s a clever idea to get them to do some things they ought to be doing anyway, and to receive a reward for it.
Link to Colgate Healthy Bedtime Habits for a Lifetime