West Maitland Dentistry Blog

Summer break is in full effect, but that doesn’t mean you need to take a break from good oral hygiene habits too!  Follow these summer tips to maintain your healthy smile over these next few warm months.

Cut down on Sugary Drinks/Foods

Summer heat brings about barbecues, parties and being outdoors more than usual.  Often at these social settings, sugary drinks and foods are served, such as ice cream, popsicles, sweet tea.  Try to avoid these sweet treats and stick to fruits or water.  If you still crave that frozen treat try substituting frozen fruits, such as bananas and grapes, for your favorite popsicle or ice cream!

Swimming

Rising temperatures make swimming a perfect summer activity for all ages.  Swimming for extended periods can cause brown stains to start appearing on teeth.  To avoid this make sure your children know proper breathing techniques while swimming.  Also brushing off plaque before swimming can help prevent these stains.

Prevent Dental Emergencies

School being out means plenty of time for children to enjoy lots of outdoor activities.  Riding bikes, swimming and playing sports can all lead to dental trauma.  To avoid injuries to the mouth have your child wear a mouthguard when engaging in physical activity.  When swimming, make sure they obey rules such as no running and horse playing in the pool.

Sunscreen

With the sun ablaze most of us remember to put sunscreen on our skin.  It is important though to remember to include your lips as well.  Your lips are a part of your skin that are easily forgotten but can also get skin cancer.  There are several lip balms on the market with SPFs out there to help protect against harmful UV rays.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can occur easily over the summertime.  If you don’t drink adequate amounts of water, dry mouth can become an issue.  Dry mouth is a very large cause of cavities so when the temperatures rise to make sure so does your water intake.

Schedule an Appointment

Daily schedules loosen up over the summer with school being over.  August becomes a mad rush to get kids in before school starts.  Avoid losing out the most wanted appointment times by scheduling over the summer.  Give us a call today to schedule your appointment and we hope these tips help you to stay healthy and cool over the summer!

Struggling to get your child to brush or floss their teeth?  You’re not alone!  Getting your young one to brush or floss is a daily battle that most of us encounter.  Here are some tips and tricks to not only get your little one to have fun brushing but also get them on a life long track to great oral health!

Start early

The best time to start a good oral hygiene routine is before your child even get’s their first tooth.  When they are infants rub their gums with a wet wash cloth after feedings.  This helps establish a routine and also gets them comfortable with someone being in their mouth.

Music Makes the Mouth Open

Incorporate music to help add some fun during brushing and flossing time.  When brushing sing a song or dance to some music to make the time more exciting and special for your child.  A popular app that kids enjoy is Brush DJ.  This free app plays music for two minutes, turning brushing time into a dance party.   Dr. Dhaliwal uses this next trick with her daughter who loves to sing.  She sings a note, such as “laaaa’ and then has her four-year-old repeat it.  The louder she sings the wider she opens!

Tell a Story 

Sometimes distraction is key when it comes to dealing with children.  Telling stories can keep kids’ minds off of what is going on but can also make things more enjoyable.  Let your child’s imagination run wild by creating fun stories to go along with brushing. 

If your creativity needs some help, give names or numbers to the teeth and brush until all the names or numbers have been called.  Likewise, using the term sugar bugs to describe plaque can help kids visualize what you are trying to brush out.  Keep brushing your little one’s teeth until you don’t see any more sugar bugs in their mouths.  Don’t forget to describe the color, shape, and size of each sugar bug you are brushing off!  

Finally, if you need even more help, try out  Star Teeth.  This is an app that allows kids to pick a character to cheer them on while brushing.

Copy Cats

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Keep that in mind when you perform your own brushing routine.  Children tend to pick up on and copy what they see.  Having a good oral hygiene routine yourself can rub off on your child.  

When teaching them brushing and flossing skills try the tell, show, do the method.

Tell: Explain to your child how and why we brush our teeth in words they can understand.  Give them opportunities to ask questions as well.

Show: Demonstrate how you brush and floss teeth either on yourself or on a doll.  This way they can familiarize themselves with the process before you brush in their mouth.

Do: Brush and floss their teeth or help them if they need assistance.

Let Them Choose…

Get your child more involved when it comes to picking out their toothbrush, toothpaste and mouth rinse flavors. This will make them feel more excited and in control of the whole process.  There are so many different characters themed toothbrushes for sale now.  Find one that engages and excites your child.  Try a toothbrush that either is electric or has a light timer that changes from green to yellow to red.  Keep kids excited by allowing them to pick out a few of their favorite ones to switch up daily.

Game On

Another way to make brushing more enjoyable is by making it into a game.  While you are brushing their teeth, let them brush either their baby doll’s teeth or your teeth.  A good way for your children to have fun and visualize brushing habits is with the use of a disclosing tablet.  After chewing, these tablets stain plaque a pink, purple or blue color.  Let your child “erase” these colorful “sugar bugs” with their toothbrush.

Rewards

When all else fails, a little bribe goes a long way.  Positive reinforcement is a great tool to get kids on the right track when it comes to their brushing.  Dr. Dhaliwal uses this trick when it comes to her daughter’s oral hygiene routine.  She makes a monthly chart, let her choose a sticker to put on it for every morning and night she brushes and flosses.  At the end of the month, she lets her pick out a small prize for her achievement.

Remember when it comes to children’s brushing and flossing make sure the routine is consistent. For children under five, brush after them to remove plaque they have missed.  Children between five and eight can brush on their own but should be supervised.  If you need a refresher on how to keep children’s teeth healthy, check out our blog we posted earlier in the year.  The most important tip we can give you is to be patient and have fun.  We hope you enjoy these tips and have fun brushing!

If you have any questions about your child’s oral health or to schedule their first visit give us a call!