Summer Is Here! 3 Seasonal Dental Tips for Kids
School is out in Wylie, TX! North Texas heat brings lots of summer fun! Sometimes the freedom and joy that come with this season can make it harder to stick to our daily oral healthcare routine. Here are three great tips on how to help your child’s mouth stay healthy all summer long.
Maintain Your Brushing and Flossing Schedule
Even while school is out, be sure your child keeps up with their brushing and flossing for two minutes twice a day. Our summer schedules tend to be more lax, but it’s still important to keep a daily routine. Failing to maintain your oral hygiene can quickly lead to problems such as cavities and gum disease. Whether traveling, visiting with friends and family, or just spending the whole day lounging around, be sure that your child maintains their same grooming and hygeine routines.
Choose Water Over Sugary Drinks
When we’re out in the summer heat it’s important to stay hydrated. The best way to hydrate your kids is with plenty of water. Juice, sodas, and sports drinks contain a lot of sugar that can create a breeding ground for bacteria. These sugary drinks are also very acid. Acids can destroy the tooth’s enamel, which may lead to tooth decay.
Water is the best choice for your child’s overall health, and it’s also essential for proper oral care. Drinking water keeps your mouth hydrated and helps dilute any acids from food and drinks. In turn, this reduces the chances of cavities forming.
Provide Healthy Snacks
The summer heat makes it tempting to reach for an ice-cream cone or an icy, fizzy soda to help keep cool. While a sweet treat here or there is OK, reducing the number of sugary snacks and drinks your kiddo consumes will help protect their teeth. When sugar interacts with the bacteria in your mouth, it forms plaque, which coats teeth and causes cavities. Eating healthily is a crucial element to encouraging good dental health. Remember, food that’s good for your child’s body will also be good for their teeth!
Here are some things you can do to encourage your child to eat healthily:
Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, yogurt, whole-grain crackers, and nuts.
Keep snacks available and easy for kids to access
Let you kids help with grocery shopping & meal prep
Pack your snacks to-go to avoid fast food & sugary convenience snacks
We hope that everyone has a great summer. Be sure to follow us for more dental tips and we’ll see you at your next dental cleaning and check up.