Healthy Summer Dental Tips for Children

24 Jun Healthy Summer Dental Tips for Children

School is out and summer vacation has begun, and while this is an exciting and joyful time for children, it can be a hectic and stressful time of year for the parents. Summer time can throw off any good parent’s routine, but with some careful preparation, you can help ensure that your child will survive the summer and start off the new school year with good oral hygiene.

Summer is here and we know this can be a hectic time for many families, so to help make things a bit easier, we’ve compiled a list of healthy summer dental tips to help keep you and your family on track.

1. Stay on track with oral hygiene

While the summer time is packed full of activities, it is still important to make sure your children brush twice a day and are flossing daily. Between summer camp, vacations, pool time, and time with friends don’t expect your child to remember. As a parent, you probably will have to remind your child that they need to brush and floss daily and that their oral hygiene routine doesn’t slack off.

2. Update your “tools”

Use the summer time to replenish your oral hygiene tools in order to replace old, germy toothbrushes and tongue scrapers. During the summer is a great time to stock up on new toothbrushes, dental floss, and tongue scrapers. If you plan on going on vacation, make sure you stock up on travel toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss so you are always prepared.

3. Have a healthy kitchen

When children are home for the summer you need to be more vigilant about what they are eating and drinking. Since many parents work and can’t supervise their children 24/7, make sure you stock a healthy fridge this summer. Don’t allow candy, cookies, and soft drinks to be accessible if you are not there to supervise. Instead, pack the kitchen with healthy snacks instead of sugary ones, and have water available instead of soda.

4. Make sure your child follows the safety rules

Summer is filled with athletic fun, from swimming to playing baseball, many children like to be active. As a parent make sure your child knows the rules for the activity they are participating in and follows them. For example, if your child is at the pool, make sure they understand that they should not run on or near the pool deck, or dive in shallow water. If they are playing a contact sport, make sure they understand the importance of wearing their mouth guard and are properly outfitted.

5. Schedule a checkup

Make sure you see your family dentist as soon as school gets out, not right before they go back to school. You can help nip any potential problems in the bud this way, and you can rest assured that your child will not have to have any procedure done (if needed) right as school is starting. Make sure your child starts the new school year off on the right foot by getting any dental work done ahead of time.