taking care of those pearly whites!

You know something I think is funny? Beauty blogs and magazines spend hours and hours talking about how to find the perfect shade of lipstick, and they tend to ignore the most important part of your smile: your teeth. Sure, most of us know to brush twice a day, but it can be tempting to think that your oral health stops there.

Except, ew. I just learned that brushing misses 75% of your mouth.

Seventy five percent. Think about how clean you'd be if you only showered 25% of your body. Again: Ew.

I've signed up to take the LISTERENE® 21-Day Challenge this month, starting today. As part of the challenge, I'm committing to a twice-daily rinsing routine with antimicrobial mouthwash. (I'm using the grown-up version, but I have to give a little shout-out to the bubblegum-flavored kids mouthwash: it's actually pretty awesome.)

I'm actually really excited about this challenge because my oral care habits are pretty good, but could definitely use some improvement. I always brush twice a day, no matter what, but I could be a lot better about flossing and truthfully, I hardly ever use mouthwash. Every once in a while if I'm running out to an event and my mouth is feeling less than fresh, but it's not always part of my daily routine. However... 75%. Of my mouth. Missed. Needless to say, I'm going to be rethinking that particular habit.

As a mom, setting a good example for oral care is particularly important -- Bear is too little now to use toothpaste or mouthwash (although our pediatrician recommended that we brush his teeth with just water to get him used to the habit!), but I know the best way to avoid epic toothbrushing battles later on is to set a good example for him early on. And good oral hygiene is incredibly important -- oral disease is the #1 chronic childhood illness in the U.S., and for millions of kids, their pain is so severe that it affects their ability to eat, sleep, and learn. That's scary stuff. We all want the best for our kids, so teaching them great habits is crucial.

So, for the next 21 days, I'm going to be amping up my oral care routine in an effort to create a lasting habit. The nice thing about changing your habits for three full weeks is that you actually give yourself a chance of sticking with it -- once you've incorporated a change into your routine for a few weeks, it's a lot easier to keep going.

If you'd like to take the LISTERENE® 21-Day Challenge along with me, sign up here! Once you sign up, you'll receive daily personalized emails from an expert in fitness, nutrition, or home organization. (I want all three! But I went with organization, because it's the area I need help with the most.) And you'll also be entered to win awesome prizes like a Fitbit®, a $100 Container Store® gift card and an Amazon Fire TV! And best of all, you'll be creating great habits that will help keep your teeth and gums healthy for years to come.

I'll be updating you guys as we go, and I'm so excited to get started!

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