Back to School Oral Health Tips
Educating your children on good dental care as back to school season arrives is essential. As they wake up to get ready for another day, it’s important for them to have the independence and the knowledge on how a dental routine works to maintain excellent oral health.
You may not know where to start with teaching your child on dental care, which is why we came up with the following back to school oral health tips:
- Starting a Routine
As soon as baby teeth begin to poke through its time to start brushing. It’s also important to book a dental appointment to double check everything is developing as it should be, as well as getting tips from your dentist on how to care for them.
- Make it Fun
To make dental care feel like less of a chore, try to think of ways to help your child enjoy it. Firstly, find a toothpaste flavour they will like, such as strawberry. Next, find a quirky toothbrush with one of their favourite TV characters or in their favourite colour to make it more appealing.
Then find a song that will make the routine fun and give them an estimate of when their two minutes of tooth brushing is over.
- The Right Toothbrush
Find a small-medium sized toothbrush with soft bristles for easy and effective teeth cleaning. But don’t forget to replace family toothbrushes regularly, after illness and after the bristles have become worn and are no longer effective.
- Pack Healthy Lunches
As well as having a good toothbrushing regime in place, consider how your child’s diet can affect their teeth. Too many sugary snacks can lead to tooth decay, which consequently wears down the tooth’s enamel and causes plaque.
Despite fruit being good for your health, too much citric fruit can erode your teeth enamel due to the acidity in these foods. Crunchy foods are also prone to getting stuck inbetween your teeth, which your child will have to wait to get home to floss out.
However, dairy products are great for helping your child’s teeth become stronger and healthier. Sugar free gum may also appropriate for older children, as chewing is known to boost saliva production to help clear away mouth bacteria.
- Using Straws
Drinks containing too much sugar can be damaging to your teeth, so the best way to avoid soda to tooth contact is by using straws. Or, to benefit your child’s overall health, consider swapping to less sugary drinks and water.
Keep your little ones smiling with clean, healthy teeth by following our guide.
To find out more about how to keep maintain excellent oral health for the whole family please get in touch with your nearest JDRM Dental Care practice.
