Help your family enjoy healthy grins this summer

School is out, and with the kids at home, normal schedules are often disrupted. Ensuring your child eats properly and keeps up with their oral hygiene routine can be a struggle. To help you, we have listed a few simple tips to prevent mishaps and to ensure everyone enjoys the summer without causing lasting damage to their teeth.

Keeping Up with Oral Hygiene

Twice daily brushing and flossing once-a-day are every bit as important during summer, but with routines disrupted by vacations, camping trips or days by the pool, don’t be surprised if your child forgets to brush or floss. Gently remind them why it is essential and make sure they know good dental care is non-negotiable! If you are going out for the day, pack some travel toothbrushes and toothpaste so everyone can freshen up at any time, and if you end up staying somewhere overnight, then you are prepared. If you are going away, then it is a great time to replace ageing toothbrushes with nice, fresh, clean ones, and don’t forget to pack your family’s favourite toothpaste.

Book Check-Ups

Now is also an excellent time to book any dental check-ups and hygiene appointments for the family, before the kids go back to school. If they need any dental treatments, then these can hopefully be scheduled before the beginning of the term. They can start their new school year with a clean dental bill of health, and it is one less thing for you to worry about at such a busy time of year.

Stock Up on Healthy Foods and Snacks

When the kids are off school, it can often seem as if the fridge is quickly emptied after being refilled. Also, it is much harder to limit snacking so make sure you have a selection of healthy and tooth-friendly foods and snacks readily available. Fresh, seasonal and locally grown fruits and veggies are excellent right now and can be prewashed and ready to go whenever needed. Other healthier options include hummus and guacamole, and cheese and sugar-free yogurts. Sugary and acidic drinks might appeal to kids but are terrible for their teeth. Encourage them to drink plain water. Tap water is just fine and, of course, it is much more environmentally friendly.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

Summer is a time for being outdoors and enjoying lots of different activities. While it wouldn’t be the same without lots of bike riding, swimming and other sports, these activities can increase the risk of a dental injury. If your child is at the pool, then make sure they follow the rules to keep them safe. All too often dentists see injuries caused by running on slippery decks or by diving into shallow waters. If the worst does happen then don’t panic but do get in touch with us here at Chatham Dental Centre. At the very least we can give you some valuable advice over the phone, and we will schedule an appointment for you with our dentist Dr. James Cadigan.

If your child knocks out a baby tooth, then don’t try to place it back in the empty socket because you could damage the adult tooth underneath. However, if your child knocks out an adult tooth, then you need to act fast. Retrieve the tooth and rinse off any visible dirt and try to replace it in the socket, ensuring it faces the correct way. Get your child to hold it in place with a clean finger, or they can bite down very gently on a clean tissue. Bring them to see us straight away.

If replacing the tooth isn’t possible then store it in a little milk or salt water to keep it moist and bring it to the nearest dentist or us immediately because it must be replaced within the first half an hour to an hour after the accident. If you want to come in or book an exam for a family member, please request an appointment and we’ll get back to you quickly to schedule one.