Children’s Dental Health Month: Our Top Tips!
February is Children’s Dental Health Month, a time of year when we like to remind our patients and their families that good oral health starts at birth!
Here are our top ten tips for keeping your child’s mouth healthy for a lifetime of happy smiles!
- Make Brushing Fun! Music and apps can be your best friend during the bedtime routine – use them to time your child for 2 full minutes of brushing fun!
- Brush twice, floss once per day: Yep! Even little ones need to floss to stimulate gums and remove cavity-causing food and bacteria.
- Babies: start seeing your family dentist before your first birthday, or after your first tooth erupts.
- No bottles at bedtime! Falling asleep with a bottle in the mouth contributes to decay and the misalignment of teeth.
- Parents: set a good example! Make sure your kids see you brushing and flossing so that they naturally assume it’s a normal part of everyday (twice) life.
- Limit sweets, especially stick ones and hard candies to keep the “sugar bugs” at bay.
- Choose H2O! Drink water and avoid soda, sports drinks (and even juice).
- Send healthy snacks to school such as carrots, cheese, apples and nuts. These foods are good for your teeth, mouth and your whole body!
- Disclosing tablets: A fun way for kids to check up on how well they are brushing is with disclosing tablets, which contain a dye that lights up plaque and food residue missed during brushing.
- Remember, it’s just as important to take care of “baby” teeth as it is the permanent ones.
Stay up to date and find more great tips for your kids at www.mouthhealthy.org.
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