Did you hear that noise at the end of last week? It was the sound of hundreds of thousands of kids across Canada counting down the final seconds of the school year and cheering on the arrival of summer vacation. No matter what plans you’ve made for your kids this summer, they’re going to be following a different schedule. Here are some ideas and tips for keeping your kid’s dental routines on track during the summer vacation.
Make a Schedule, Even When You’re Doing Nothing!
Got nothing going on this summer but hanging out and seeing what each new day brings? For many families with older children, this is what much of summer will look like.
But don’t let your kid’s oral hygiene get forgotten in the relaxing days of getting up late, watching TV and hanging out with friends.
Make a rule that they’re not allowed to do something they’re going to do pretty much every day – say play their favourite video game – until they’ve washed their faces and brushed their teeth. If you’re home with them, maybe put their devices away each night once they’ve gone to bed so that they have to ask for them the next morning once they’re awake, giving you the chance to make sure they brush their teeth.
This way, even if they’ve got a great big day of nothing lined up, they’ll still start with clean teeth!
Keep an Eye on What You Eat
Summer vacations can be a time when kids eat a lot more sugary foods, especially if you go somewhere on vacation. Hotel continental breakfasts have sugary cereals, sweet muffins and lots of fruit juice. Restaurants have bright, colourful menus describing scrumptious desserts and the servers are only too happy to give them to kids.
We’re not saying you and your family shouldn’t enjoy your vacation, you’ve probably worked hard all year and deserve it! But we are saying that it’s easy to lose track of your diet while you’re away, so be sure to make fresh fruits and vegetables part of as many meals as you can.
And if you can’t resist the temptation of a piece of triple-chocolate-fudge-mountain-brownie-explosion-cheesecake after dinner, make sure that you do an extra-good job of brushing and flossing before you go to bed!
Take along lots of water as you go places and do things. It’ll help keep you and your kids hydrated and energetic, but it’ll also help wash away food particles and keep harmful acids created by the bacteria naturally found in your mouth to a minimum.
Pack Extra Supplies
In the hustle bustle of getting everything packed and everyone ready and out the door into a waiting taxi, have you ever forgotten someone’s teeth brushing supplies?
Here’s a tip: as part of the packing that you do ahead of time, pack a couple of extra toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, and if possible pack them in different suitcases.
That way, if someone forgets to pack their stuff, you’ve got a backup, and even if you did pack everything but some of your luggage gets lost, you still have a backup.
Also, did you know that hotels have toothbrushes and other supplies at the front desk? In most cases, you can get them for free just by asking.
The Bottom Line
Just because school is out doesn’t mean you or your kids can take a break from good dental routines. Keep a schedule for your kids, even if you don’t have anything planned, keep a close eye on what you eat and pack extra supplies if you’re heading out of town.
Orion Dental provides a full range of dental services for the entire family. With offices conveniently located in Milton and Scarborough and with extended office hours, we make going to the dentist easy! Call either of our offices and book an appointment and let us help keep your families smiles beautiful and teeth healthy!
