Summer is here, which means late nights and summer fun activities for kids. Most families are off their regular schedule and routine, making it easy to forget to brush and take care of your child’s teeth, according to a top pediatric dentist in Camelback.
However, there are a few simple things that a pediatric dental specialist in Camelback recommends you do to keep those smiles shiny and healthy all through the summer:
Be Mindful of Snacks
Snacking is a given when it comes to summer breaks. Kids are bored and off their regular schedule making snacking much more common. When your kids are constantly snacking, this means that there is food consistently stuck in-between and on the surface of their teeth. Sticking to mealtimes means that your child has time to clean foods off the surface by brushing and drinking water regularly. Make sure and check with your Camelback pediatric dentist about other snacking tips at their regular checkup.
If your child loves to snack, it’s important to know that not all snacks are made alike when it comes to tooth health. Foods that are chewy and high in sugar like dried fruit, bread, and crackers might seem like a healthy choice for the body, but for the teeth these can cause cavities. Instead, try non-citrus fresh fruit, cheeses, or fresh vegetable options. These won’t stick to your teeth which is what causes cavities, and they are lower in sugar.
Drink Plenty of Water
It’s easy as a parent to hand your child a sports drink or soda pop when they are thirsty and asking for it. However, this can be detrimental to your child’s healthy teeth. Sports drinks even market themselves as healthy options, but they are full of sugar, and this sugar coats your child’s teeth for long periods eating away the enamel and causing cavities.
Stick to water, as it hydrates their bodies without all the sugar. A compromise might be to water down their sugary drinks as this dilutes the amount of sugar. Or, make sure they swish their mouth around with water directly after drinking a sugary drink to cleanse as much sugar from the tooth’s surface.
Wear a Mouth Guard When Doing Outdoor Sports and Activities
Most kids love to ride their bikes, rollerblade, and ride skateboards down the sidewalks during the summer. Although these are fun activities, they also lend themselves to an uptick in dental emergencies, according to Camelback pediatric orthodontists. One easy way to avoid one of these events is to have your child wear a mouthguard. A mouthguard can prevent your child from losing a tooth or getting one chipped.
At The Kids Dental Office of Phoenix, we are an AHCCCS kids dentist in Camelback, open for all dental care procedures and emergency needs. This is because protecting the health and safety of our patients and families remains our number one priority. We want all kids to have access to excellent dental services; this is why we are a top AHCCCS kids dentist in Camelback.
Call us at (602) 903-4894 or visit our website to book an appointment today!
