we've got...

two adorable pearly whites.

and i want to keep them pearly white. for lucy's little chompers, i am using weleda children's tooth gel. made in germany, it's free of fluoride, detergents, synthetic flavors, colors & preservatives, and none of the ingredients are derived from mineral oils. it does not taste (or smell) like mega bubble berry, it does not sparkle, and it does not promote cartoon characters, but i think we're okay. lucy seems to like the subtle spearmint flavor--in fact, the only reason that i am using toothpaste at all with her is that she basically refused to have her teeth brushed otherwise. she'd clamp those gums, and shake her head back and forth, and i'd hand over the brush (which she'd then calmly gnaw on the end of). i had to bring in the big guns--something with a little flavor. i'm happy to report that so far, it's working. we got 2 full brushings in today.

for a toothbrush, we are using some piece of plastic crest baby brush that the dentist gave me last time i was in for my own dental cleaning. i did pick up a preserve jr. brush for lucy when the one she is currently using gets all worn out. preserve is a great company that crafts toothbrushes from recycled yogurt containers. if you've read my blog for awhile you'll recall that, while i think this is a fantastic idea, the adult preserve brush (which i got at trader joe's), was a bit too soft for my liking. i am hopeful that the baby brush will work out fine, as baby brushes are supposed to be super soft on those tender gums anyway. spent brushes can be returned to the company using a free postage-paid mailer, where they are turned into plastic lumber. click here to read more about this great program!

i've also found a great toothbrush for me! it's the radius source toothbrush. this thing looks pretty funky, people, but i am loving it anyway. the handle is made from 100% recycled wood fiber, and the head--which comes in soft & medium--is the only part that needs to be replaced. the toothbrush is made in pennsylvania and 50% of the packaging used is made from recycled soda bottles.

i was lucky enough to find everything listed here at my local elephant pharmacy (gotta love that place). i'm pretty sure, however, that everything i've listed can be purchased online at either drugstore.com or iherb.com, 2 very reputable websites that i have used often.

now i'm off to go brush...