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Joan Lunden is Giving Kids Something to Smile About
By Matt Stringer

After Joan Lunden walks past the shimmering waterfall and mock Japanese river and settles down and prepares to order her food in front of the 10-foot Buddha in Philadelphia’s Buddakan restaurant, it’s a good chance she’ll ask the waiter for the wasabi crusted filet mignon with a sweet potato mash.

“We have tons of restaurants we love in Philadelphia, like Buddakan” Lunden said. “Their food looks like art. It’s food art.” She visits the city since she sits on the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and her one daughter Sarah is going to attend the school.

But, lately, after Lunden leaves the restaurant she might just be wondering if she remembered her toothbrush. When she anchored Good Morning America for nearly two decades she woke up the nation. But now she’s waking up her two sets of twins and teaching them, and the rest of us, just how important brushing is for babies, children and adults alike—just ask anyone having a tooth pulled out because of poor dental habits.

Lunden teamed up with Oral-B and the American Academy of Pediatrics for February’s Children's Dental Health Month to teach the importance of getting kids in the habit of brushing early. And sometimes you may want to take them to the dentist when there’s nothing wrong.

“You want them to come to the dentist when there’s nothing wrong to get them comfortable with the chair, the dentist,” Lunden said. “Make it a fun thing for the kids. Choose a pediatric dentist—their offices are kid-friendly. They are not like the dentists you went to as kids; their offices set up so they won’t be afraid.”

Lunden also cautions you to make sure that if your town doesn’t have fluoridated water, you use toothpastes that do. “Kids need fluoride, but at the same time they shouldn’t have too much,” Lunden said. “Even at 4, you have to remind them not to swallow. They just don’t get it sometimes.”

And it’s sound advice because if toddlers swallow fluoride—babies should not be using fluoridated toothpaste—they could get fluorosis, which causes little white or brown specks on permanent teeth. And teeth are an important part of our everyday life.

“I don’t care who you are—your self-confidence depends on your smile,” Lunden said.

Also, you have to remember that bottled water won’t do. “It’s oh so chic but it’s not fluoridated. There are some that are but it’s not significant,” Lunden said.

Lunden, 57, is mother to seven children. Three of them—Jamie, 26; Lindsay Krauss, 24; and Sarah, 18—are from a previous marriage and her two sets of twins—ages two and four, respectively—were born through the same surrogate mother from Ohio.

That means Lunden is experiencing all the joys—and sleepless nights—that come with motherhood. That also means she is on the frontlines of instilling good habits early before it’s too late.

“It can be so hard to get them to brush,” Lunden said. “As soon as that first tooth comes in, you get that brush out and brush it. Sometimes they’ll [her children] come in and brush with us. The little ones are still on the baby stage. The 4 year olds are almost there—they’ll have it down completely soon, especially my Kate who’ll say ‘I haven’t brushed yet.’”

Lunden said one way to entice them to brush is to buy brushes that play music so they’ll have fun when brushing instead of thinking of it as another chore.

Oral-B’s First Steps to a Healthy Smile–What Parents Need to Know

Children’s oral health needs differ throughout their childhood, so parents need to encourage good habits early on. Teaching healthy oral care early in a child’s life will make for happy smiles in the future. 

When to Begin:

• Clean newborn baby’s gums with a damp washcloth following feedings to prevent the buildup of plaque, bacteria that accumulate on teeth and cause decay. 

• When their child’s first teeth appear, parents should brush them for two minutes twice a day to begin instilling the recommended regimen, focusing on the teeth that conduct most of the chewing and back teeth where cavities often first develop.

• Visit the dentist when children’s first teeth come in. A good rule of thumb is: “First visit by first birthday.” 

To make brushing a fun experience, brush with your child to set a good example, and sing a song or recite a nursery rhyme for two minutes to help along the brushing process.

Matt Stringer is the editor of Curious Parents.