Now that the kids are out of the summer, you may be trying to come up with as many activities as possible to keep them busy so that they stop driving you batty. Among planning fun activities, play dates, and vacations though, make sure that you keep up on the basics like taking good care of their oral health. As one of the things that tend to fall by the wayside during the summer, we have a few tips to ensure that your kids don’t end up with cavities.
Stick to a Schedule
Kids thrive off of schedules, which means that in addition to helping them stick to a sleep schedule, that you should make sure that they stick to a good oral health schedule as well. Make sure that they stick to a similar routine as the one they practice during the school year.
For instance, make sure that they brush first thing in the morning and right before they go to bed. If they are having a hard time remembering, create a chart of all of the things they have to do before they can go outside and play.
Watch the Sugar
With popsicles, candy, and ice cream in full force during the hot summer months, it can seem like there is no shortage of sugar for your kids to indulge in. Although a sugary snack here in there is okay, try to limit their sugar intake. Instead of having so many treats around the house, try to have snacks around the house like fresh fruit. Although fresh fruit still has a lot of sugar in it, it’s not as bad for their teeth as processed sugar.
Have them drink more water
Heat stroke isn’t something you want any of your kids to get, but when they play all day outside, it’s easy for them to get dehydrated. Not only will drinking a lot of water prevent them from getting dehydrated, but it will also naturally clean their teeth and get rid of germs, food, and bacteria. Encourage your kids to make a goal to drink a lot of water every day. To make it fun, let them pick out a fun, reusable water bottle from the store.
If you want to learn more tips on how to take care of your child’s oral health, schedule their next dental cleaning, and call our Abington office at (215) 885-0555.
