Once school lets out, the kids are ready for relaxation, cool treats, hot days by the pool, and time vacationing with friends and family. While summer offers a break from school for your kids, they can’t afford to take a vacation from good dental hygiene — especially since many kids are eating and drinking more sugar. Even though your schedule is turned upside down during the summer months, here are a few tips for kids’ dental care to keep your child’s teeth beautiful and healthy this summer.
Keep Kids Hydrated
Hydration is important in every season, but especially in summer when temperatures are hot. Kids can dehydrate quickly. Hydration isn’t just important for their overall health, drinking water promotes the formation of saliva and can help rinse bacteria in the mouth. Re-usable water bottles offer a great way to keep kids drinking throughout the day.
Continue Following a Schedule
Kids’ dental care often falls by the wayside during the summer because kids no longer have their regular school schedule. Make sure you continue following a schedule, even during the summer, to keep kids taking care of important daily oral hygiene. Come up with a schedule that fits your family’s needs and make sure you schedule time for brushing, flossing and rinsing at least a few times each day.
Pack Oral Health Travel Kits
When you’re traveling on vacation and to visit relatives, summer dental care for kids is easy to forget in the flurry of activity. Put together some oral health travel kits for your kids to have — whether they’re heading to summer camp, visiting a friend for a couple days, or going to grandma’s house for the weekend.
Control Sugar Intake
While you’re probably good about limiting sugar during the school year, it’s easy to let kids eat more sugary snacks and drink sugary drinks in the summer. Cool drinks such as sports drinks, lemonade and sodas are all packed with sugar, which can increase your child’s risk for tooth decay. Limit sugar intake and offer health alternatives to sugar.
Have Veggie and Fruit Snacks Ready
Your kids are sure to be looking for snacks in the fridge all summer. If you want to ensure they make healthy choices, be sure to have veggie and fruits snacks ready. Fresh fruits and veggies are in season and you can cut them up and make snack packs that are easy for kids to grab when they’re hungry.
Get Your Kids a Mouthguard
There’s plenty to keep kids active during the summer, from volleyball to softball to bike riding. However, sports can easily result in dental injuries. Simply making sure your child has a mouthguard to wear while playing sports can prevent dental and facial injuries, and special orthodontic mouthguards are available for kids who wear braces.
Enforce Pool Safety Rules
Many dental injuries that occur in the summer months are a result of pool injuries. When kids dive into shallow water or run on a slippery pool deck, there’s a chance they can accidentally knock out a tooth or fracture a tooth. Set some pool rules and make sure kids follow them to prevent injuries.
Schedule Summer Dental Care for Kids
Sure, your schedule is going to be hectic during the summer, but don’t forget about routine kids’ dental care. If you live in the Sacramento area, schedule a dental appointment for your child with Natomas Crossing Dental Care for a cleaning and checkup. A visit to the dentist is a great way to make sure your child’s teeth are in good shape, and if there are any problems, they can be addressed early to prevent further damage.