Preventing Summertime Tooth Decay

Summertime brings lots of fun, activities and days in the sun, but it’s also a time when kids forget their oral hygiene routine. Even when we’re busy, we can’t forget about our smiles. Teeth are constantly at war during the summertime with all the sugary drinks and snacks that are available and crazy schedules that mess up our brushing routines. Implementing simple things like brushing calendars and scheduling your kids’ back-to-school dental visits early on will help keep your kids on track with their oral health. Read on to find out what tips you should follow this summer to prevent summertime tooth decay!

Maintain An Oral Hygiene Routine

As kids get out of school and families start going on vacation, the summertime becomes busy and hectic for people all around the U.S. Throughout all of the hustle and bustle, however, patients tend to forget about their oral hygiene routines, leaving their teeth vulnerable to tooth decay. It can be difficult to remind kids to brush and floss each day, especially at night whenever dinners, parties and activities are going on, but it’s essential to maintain that routine throughout the summer to ensure healthy teeth once school starts in the fall. Adults aren’t exempt from this-they can get just as caught up in all the summertime activities that their oral health becomes affected, as well. Help your kids remember to brush their teeth twice a day by implementing a brushing calendar, which can give them a goal that they can mark off each day that they brush their teeth. While brushing is easy to do for most kids, flossing is another matter. Kids under 10 years of age typically don’t have the motor skills to properly floss between teeth, so it’s important that you help them. You can buy interdental flossers, which kids can easily push between teeth, or put your hands over theirs to guide them as they learn to floss. Summertime may be a few months out of the year where kids get out of having to study and learn school subjects, but learning how to take care of their oral health should be a goal that kids continue to work towards no matter what time of year it is.

Stock Up On Healthy Foods

One of the easiest ways that kids get their hands on unhealthy snacks and food during the summer is by digging through their own pantries! As a parent, make sure that you’re stocking your cupboards and fridge with healthy snacks, such as strawberries, blueberries and summertime veggies, like corn. If kids aren’t kept busy, they can find themselves meandering through the kitchen, eating whatever they can get their hands on. Try to have foods in your kitchen that will protect your family’s teeth from acid-producing sugars and starches that can cause cavities and gum disease. Instead of stocking up on sugar-filled sodas and juices to help cool you down on a hot day, invest in buying bottles of water that you can grab when you’re on the go and keep your family hydrated. The best way to prevent tooth decay is by ensuring that the foods that contribute to it aren’t easily accessible, except in the case of a birthday party or as a reward. For frequent snackers, instead of offering a snack every so often, let your kids tell you whenever they’re hungry. This will keep their teeth free from extra food particles that can sit on their teeth during the day, plus it will keep them from overeating and ruining their appetites whenever dinner or lunch come around.

Be Prepared

Summertime is full of sports tournaments, swimming and community events that keep us busy and active, but they also put us at risk for dental injuries and emergencies. Instead of treating the injury once it happens, it’s better that you are prepared for one beforehand, even if it never occurs. Many oral injuries occur at the pool, especially when the kids are running on wet cement, bumping the ledges with their mouth or diving into the water. Make sure that you teach your kids the rules of the pool or waterpark that you’re at to keep them from getting a laceration or breaking a tooth. Pack an emergency dental kit in your car that has gauze, ibuprofen and a small container with a lid (to hold a knocked-out tooth), plus your dentist’s contact information, so that you are prepared for a potential dental injury. Lastly, as a parent, find out how to treat a dental injury yourself because whenever one occurs, you may not be in a location where dental help is available. Use warm water and cold packs to clean the area and reduce swelling, then use gauze to stop any bleeding. If a tooth has been lost, try putting it back into the mouth. If that doesn’t work, put it in milk or salt water until you can make it to the dentist. Being prepared for a dental injury will help you protect your family’s oral health and know what to do when an emergency happens.

Schedule A Back-To-School Checkup

Most parents will schedule their child’s back-to-school dental checkup during the month that school starts, but decay can already be running rampant by then. Instead of waiting all summer, trying scheduling a dental checkup after school ends or mid-summer so that they can start their summer vacation on the right foot.

At Stonebrook Family Dental, our team is experienced with helping kids and adults alike improve their oral health throughout the year and prevent tooth decay. Dr. Varley and his team provide an in-depth evaluation of your teeth, gums and mouth to ensure that your oral health is on the right track. Call our office today at (303) 872-7907 to schedule a dental checkup and prevent summertime decay!