1. Prompt Detection of Issues
With long summer days, many children spend time playing, forgetting to brush and floss as much as they should. Less oral care can lead to tartar buildup and even decay. Scheduling a dental cleaning before school starts will allow your child’s dentist to look for potential problems before they decline further. As a result, your child will start off the school year with a healthy smile and pain-free.
2. Busy School Schedules
Whether it’s studying or extracurricular activities, the new school year always means a busier schedule. Visiting the dentist during the summer will ensure that your child doesn’t need to miss a day of school, allowing them to focus on their academics and making friends.
3. Preventative Care
To keep your child’s smile healthy, learn more about preventative care. While having their teeth cleaned, ask about fluoride and sealant treatments if they haven’t had these completed before. Fluoride keeps your child’s teeth strong and helps combat decay, while sealants, which are thin layers of a plastic-like material, prevent bacteria from settling in on molars and other teeth crevices.
If you want to schedule a dental cleaning before the school year begins, contact us by visiting us online or calling today!
5 Fun Ways to Teach Children About Oral Hygiene
Children tend to regard hygiene practices in general as chores, but parents know these important habits are essential to maintaining health and forming lifelong habits. Fortunately, it’s possible to approach hygiene in a way that actually generates excitement among little ones. Get the whole family involved in oral hygiene with the following tips.
How to Make Dental Care Fun for Kids
1. Brush & Floss as a Family
Young children look up to their parents and emulate many of their behaviors. Brushing and flossing as a family can therefore set a positive example. They’ll look forward to these special moments of togetherness while you’ll receive the opportunity to guide them in the proper techniques.
2. Let Them Pick Their Supplies
One of the simplest ways to get your kid excited about dental wellness is to let them pick out their own toiletries. There are many children’s toothbrushes and brands of toothpaste available with popular action heroes and familiar characters, so bring your child to the oral hygiene aisle during your next shopping trip.
3. Use a Timer
When you brush as a family, use a timer to encourage thorough brushing. Not only will this teach your little one the importance of brushing for a full two minutes, but it can also be used as a fun challenge. You might even take turns picking two-minute songs to brush to.
4. Set Up a Rewards System
A rewards system is a great way to instill new, positive behavior in children. Brushing and flossing are no exception. Set up a chart and use stickers to track progress. Offer a reward, such as an outing to their favorite park or an extra 20 minutes of TV on a weekend night, upon completion of each week or month.
5. Have Dental Storytime
There are dozens of children’s books available that are fun and engaging while instilling lessons about oral hygiene. Beloved children’s authors like Mercer Mayer, Dr. Seuss, and Stan and Jan Berenstain all have stories about dental health. Find them at your local library—or make up your own tales of the Tooth Fairy battling decay monsters.
Snack Teeth Smart
- Banana muffins. …
- Watermelon slices and mini Gouda wheels. …
- Carrot Sticks, hummus, and pita chips. …
- Unsweetened applesauce cups and natural fruit roll-ups/fruit leather.
- Yogurt tubes and nut-free granola. …
- Bananas and whole wheat Goldfish crackers. …
- Trail mix
- Apple (good with peanut butter, or almond butter)
- Banana (good with peanut butter, or almond butter)
- Carrots (good with hummus or ranch dip)
- Celery (good with peanut butter and raisins a.k.a. “Ants on a Log”)
- Mango.
- Pear.
- Grapes.
- Strawberries (good with regular or Greek yogurt)