3 Tips To Help Your Kids Stay On Top Of Their Dental Health This Summer
During the summertime, many individuals' schedules change up. This is especially true if you have kids who are out of school for the summer. With the change in schedules, it can be easy for your kids to lapse and not keep up with their dental care. Here are three ways you can help your kids stay on track of taking care of their teeth even when their normal routine has changed.
#1 Get Your Kids Into The Dentist
One of the best times of the year to schedule a check-up for your kid is during their summer break. You don't have to work around their school and sports schedule, which makes it far easier to set an appointment.
Getting their teeth cleaned and taken care of in the summer is also a great way to remind your kids of the importance of taking care of their teeth. After getting their teeth cleaned and getting to visit with their dentist, your children may have a renewed desire to take proper care of their teeth that will hopefully sustain them for the rest of the summer.
Just don't wait till the last week or two before school is set to start again to schedule your child's dental check-up. This is a popular time to schedule check-ups, and your dentist may be booked up.
#2 Help Your Kids Develop & Stick To A Dental Cleaning Schedule
Even if you like to keep your kids' summer a little spontaneous, that doesn't mean that they don't need a schedule of any kind. It is important that you set a dental cleaning schedule and ensure that your kids stick with it.
Insist that your kids brush their teeth and floss them when they get up in the morning. You can have your kids do this as soon as they get up, or after breakfast, whatever works best with your schedule. The important thing is to make sure that your kids brush their teeth within an hour of waking up and don't wait hours to brush their teeth. This will give bacteria lots of time to grow and thrive.
Next, make sure that you have an established end-of-the day routine, where your kids brush their teeth following dinner and dessert. Even if your bedtime routine looks a little different overall—for example, you let your kids watch movies before bedtime in the summer—make sure that you stick to your regular schedule for brushing before bed.
#3 Stick To Healthy Snacks
Finally, you can help your kids improve their oral health through their diet. Stress the importance of water during the summer, and try to reserve sugary drinks, like soda and juice, for special events.
Stock your house up with healthy treats, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, which actually help clean your kids teeth and provide them with valuable nutrition that they need to have healthy teeth. Keep the sticky and sugary treats away for special occasions.
For more information and help with maintaining your kids' dental health, get in contact with a pediatric dentistry clinic, such as Dentistry For Children.