4 Tips for Keeping Children Cavity-Free

Hey there Plano! Welcome back to the ongoing dental health blog of 1st In Smiles. Generally we use this blog to educate our patients (and potential patients) about the benefits offered by our many restorative and cosmetic dental treatments. But one area of dentistry often doesn’t get the attention it deserves: family dentistry.

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we are committed to providing exceptional family dentistry at an affordable cost. We can provide care for everyone in your family, including children. Childhood dentistry places a vital role in ensuring a person grows up with a healthy and beautiful smile. But beautiful smiles begin with routine oral care at home.

We know a lot of parents visit our comfortable and modern office in Plano, TX. So in today’s post, we want to provide some tips to parents to help ensure their children maintain a healthy smile. It can be hard to get your children to take care of their teeth, but these easy tricks can make it a whole lot easier!

Tip #1: Set a Routine for Your Child’s Oral Health

Routines can often make it easier to encourage good habits in your children. Consistent bedtimes, reading time, and activity time can improve the health, education, and happiness of your children. That same principle should be applied to their oral care. Try and make sure your children brush and floss their teeth at the same time every morning and evening. Consider brushing at the same time they do to make sure they never forget.

Tip #2: Make Brushing Into an Adventure!

For your children, brushing their teeth probably seems like a mundane activity. But it’s easy to put a little bit of spice in the activity. You can allow your child to personalize their brushing experience by picking out their own toothbrush. Your local grocery store or pharmacy likely contains dozens of inexpensive, kid-themed brushes. Let your child pick one out so they look forward to brushing their teeth.

When it comes time to brush, you can also try to turn it into an adventure. Many parents have had success by introducing music to their children’s brushing routines. Kids like to try and brush in rhythm to the music. If you have them brush for the duration of the song, you also ensure that they are brushing their teeth for long enough. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth for a minimum of two minutes at a time, twice a day.

If you read to your children before bedtime, you can also try reading to them while they’re brushing your teeth. Kids often love to be read to, and if they know the process begins when they brush their teeth, they’ll be running to the bathroom to brush!

Tip #3: Help Your Children Make Healthy Choices

Brushing and flossing are very important, but there are other steps you need to take to ensure your children’s oral health. For example, kids like to sip on drinks and munch on snacks throughout the day. It might be tempting and seemingly healthy to give them a glass of juice and a handful of pretzels to eat.

But that “healthy” snack is filled dangers for their oral health. Fruit juice generally contains a lot of sugar (which contribute to tooth decay and hyperactivity) and loses many of the fruits valuable nutrients. Pretzels are a starch food; starches breakdown into sugars while they’re being digested. That means pretzels and juice are double trouble for your child’s teeth!

Instead, serve them water between meals. Save milk, juice, or the occasional soda as a dinnertime treat. Water helps to freshen their breath and remove harmful decay-causing bacteria from their little mouths. If they’re hungry, trying giving them a high fiber fruit or vegetable. Fiber wills strengthen the enamel of their teeth and help their digestive system.

Tip #4: Schedule an Appointment

It’s impossible to remove all plaque and tartar from your teeth. That’s especially true for children. That’s why the American Dental Association recommends scheduling a teeth cleaning for your children every six months. We’ll remove the plaque and tartar they can reach from brushing and flossing alone. We’ll also check for signs of tooth decay and ensure they’re in good oral health. Make an appointment for your child at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX by calling 972-380-8105.