We’re more than halfway through the summer vacation and it won’t be long before kids start getting excited about heading back to school for another year of fun with friends and wonderful learning adventures. It can be tough to keep on top of your child’s oral hygiene during the summer months, but here are a few quick tips for how to use back-to-school to get your child back into good oral hygiene habits.
Brand New Back-to-School Teeth Brushing Supplies
When you’re out back-to-school shopping, don’t just think about that new pair of shoes they need or a new backpack. Make a big deal about buying them a new toothbrush, new toothpaste, and new flossers.
Take them with you to the store and let them pick their new teeth brushing tools, but then don’t let them have them until the morning of the first day of school.
Kids love opening a new toothbrush, and making them wait will make them look forward to that first morning of school even more.
And if they’re eagerly looking forward to that first morning of school so they can bust open their new stuff, that’s getting them off to a good start for keeping their teeth and mouths clean and healthy during the school year!
Set a New Routine
The start of the new school year is often the beginning of a new routine for many families. Everyone is up at a different time to make sure both parents and kids are ready and out the door on time for work and school!
Use the chance at a new routine to establish good dental care habits. Talk to your kids about what the mornings and evenings will look like and make sure everyone knows the plan and is on board with it.
Make sure you have your kids brush their teeth after they eat breakfast in the morning so they can rid their mouths of any enamel-weakening acids that have accumulated overnight and rinsed away any leftover food particles from breakfast.
Similarly, make brushing their teeth one of the last things they do at night before they go to bed and after they’ve eaten a good, healthy dinner.
Get Them a Reusable Water Bottle
Many schools have water bottle filling stations. Drinking plenty of water helps keep kids hydrated and focused, and having the kids use their own refillable water bottles is environmentally conscious.
But there are oral health benefits to your child drinking lots of water, too. There are tiny bacteria that are naturally found in our mouths, and they consume sugars and food particles after we eat and produce an acid that can weaken and damage the enamel on our teeth.
When we drink water, not only are we rinsing leftover food particles from in our mouths that these bacteria feed on, but we’re also washing away the harmful acids.
Your local department store is sure to stock all sorts of different water bottle options, so buy one for your child and help keep them hydrated, do your bit to help save the environment, and help your kids protect their teeth while they’re at school learning!
Back-to-school is just around the corner and that’s a great opportunity to get your child back into some good oral hygiene habits. Make the occasion a little more special by buying them a brand-new toothbrush, make sure brushing their teeth is an important part of their new routine, and help protect their teeth while they’re at school by encouraging them to drink lots of water.
Orion Dental provides a complete range of dental services for the whole family. With offices conveniently located in Milton and Scarborough, we’re never too far away! If you’re looking for a new dentist to help take care of your family’s teeth and mouths, call us and book your first appointment and let’s get started!
