Summertime Tooth Care Tips for Kids

Though kids often meet it with unbridled joy, the start of summer is sometimes a source of renewed stress for parents. The last thing a parent needs is an additional stressor, which is why it’s a good idea to establish a game plan for good oral health – and establish it early.

Fortunately, none of the common summertime dental worries is a certainty. By keeping just a few things in mind with regard to summer dental care, you can make sure your kids’ dental health doesn’t backslide between now and the beginning of the school year.

Establish – or Reinforce – Routines

During the school year, kids have set schedules, at least during the week. They have school in the morning, they have a bedtime that allows them to get enough sleep for school the next day, and they brush and floss before each. And no matter how much or how little their daily schedules change for the summer, they’re not going to be exactly the same. So encourage them to maintain their routines, and keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t skip brushing and flossing because they stayed up late or slept in. You can even brush alongside them if your schedules match up more comfortably.

For Those Who Take More Convincing…

For kids who drag their feet on maintaining a good oral hygiene regimen, there are a variety of tools that may make them more amenable, such as:

• Making regular brushing and flossing part of their daily responsibilities, just like emptying the dishwasher or putting away their laundry
• Using encouraging apps, such as Brush DJ, Disney Magic Timer or Toothsavers Brushing Game
• Setting phone reminders for kids old enough to have their own phones

Practice Good Eating & Drinking Habits

Dietary habits change when there’s no daily school lunch or regular before-school breakfast. Meanwhile, the opportunities for snacking increase exponentially, with a litany of sugary drinks and unhealthful snacks presenting themselves at sporting events, sports practice, cookouts, festivals and more – and that means increased risk of cavities and tooth decay.

It’s a good idea to place limits on snacking, and to wait for kids to request snacks before offering them. Make healthful snacks accessible at home, and make them your default for on-the-go snacks. You may even be able to make your own healthful alternatives to otherwise sugary snacks, such as ice cream and popsicles. Water plays a crucial role in good oral health, too. Not only is hydration particularly important in hot weather, water cleans the teeth and improves production of saliva, which washes the surface of the teeth and clears out food particles.

Food & Drinks to Encourage

• Apples
• Cheese
• Fruit-flavored water
• Fruit smoothies
• Grapes
• Hummus
• Unsweetened tea
• Veggies (potentially with dip)
• Watermelon
• Whole grain crackers
• Yogurt with berries

Food & Drinks to Limit

• Candy
• Ice cream
• Juice
• Lemonade
• Marshmallows
• Popcorn
• Popsicles
• Soda

Protect Teeth During Physical Activity

It’s always worthwhile to remind kids to exercise caution when engaging in any sort of robust physical activity, whether it’s older kids playing sports or younger kids playing tag. For kids who play contact sports such as football, or who enjoy activities such as skateboarding, it’s a good idea to consider a custom mouthguard that will protect the teeth in the event of a major fall or collision.

Pool Pointers

Kids also spend a lot of their summer vacation in the pool, and the pool can present its own set of risks. Of course, there are always the dangers of running on a slippery surface, or diving into shallow water. But people who spend a lot of time in the pool can also accrue staining or damage to their teeth from chlorine. This condition, known as swimmer’s calculus, usually only happens with people who spend great lengths of time in the pool, and is less common these days as many pools have found less chlorine-heavy methods of cleaning pool water, but it can still happen.

Be Prepared on Vacation

If you’re about to head out on vacation, it’s well worth your time to check – and double-check, and triple-check – that your children have all the essentials: their toothbrush, plus travel-size containers of toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss. Many’s the family vacation that has started with the realization that one of the kids forgot their toothbrush! Beyond that, it may be wise to bring an emergency dental kit containing your dentist’s phone number as well as gauze, cotton balls, saline solution, dental wax and pain relievers.

Get Appointments on the Calendar Now

If you need to schedule a dental cleaning and checkup for your child before the summer is out, your best move is to get that on the schedule as soon as possible. Dental providers’ schedules tend to crowd up pretty quickly toward the end of the summer, so save yourself the anxiety and get that box checked now.

Schedule Your Appointment with Springfield Dental Group

Looking to schedule your child’s back-to-school dental appointment? This is a great time to do it! Reach out to our team at Springfield Dental Group now and get that date on your calendar!