This morning, millions of parents kids strapped on their brand new backpacks, laced up their brand new shoes and headed back into the hallowed hallways of schools across the country and reunited with old friends and made new friends as another summer vacation came to an end and another school year started. But even if your kids aren’t under your watchful eye, they can still keep up on good dental hygiene habits, and here are some tips how!
- Make brushing their teeth the last thing they do before they head out the door to school. There are bacteria that live in our mouths (don’t worry, it’s completely natural) that feed on leftover particles of food and produce an acidic substance that can weaken the protective tooth enamel. After your child has eaten breakfast, get them to brush their teeth to get rid of those leftover food particles and give those acid-producing bacteria less to chomp on.
- Pack healthy snacks in your child’s lunch. Your child will love you if you pack candy, cupcakes and other treats, but your dentist will love you more if you pack teeth healthy snacks like apple slices, carrot stick and celery wedges. Not only do they contain less sugar (those acid-producing bacteria love sugary snacks) but raw vegetables can also act as nature’s toothbrushes by dislodging particles of food that can get trapped between teeth and along the gum line.
- Drink lots of water! Not only is this good for keeping kids hydrated but drinking lots of water can help swish away food particles left in the mouth after eating and the enamel-damaging bacteria-produced acids. Many schools have installed water bottle filling stations and encourage kids to bring refillable water bottles to school, so it’s good for the environment, too!
- Rinse and spit after snacks and lunch. Okay, that refillable water bottle we just mentioned? Tell your child to go to the washroom after they’ve finished eating and do a thorough rinse-and-spit. It’s not as good as brushing and flossing, but it can rinse a lot of the leftover food particles out of their mouth.
- Brush their teeth as soon as they get home. Naturally, we want kids brushing their teeth in the morning and before they go to bed at night, but a third time we recommend is when they get home from school. While they might have done a fantastic job rinsing food particles away with water during the school day, nothing beats a thorough tooth brushing.
- Make regular trips to your dentist! Visit your family dentist twice a year and they’ll help you keep your teeth and gums healthy and beautiful.
Good dental hygiene practices don’t have to stop just because your child has headed back to school. We hope these tips will help keep your child’s mouth healthy and if you’re looking for a child friendly dentist in Milton or Scarborough, Orion Dental is for you! We love helping young children learn the importance of oral hygiene and with a complete range of dental services we can take care of your whole family. Call our Milton dental office at (905) 636 – 9770 or our Scarborough dental office at (416) 291 – 0306 at book an appointment today!
