Good Habits for Creating Healthy Smiles

Posted October 4, 2016

If you care about your kids’ smile health, and what parent doesn’t, it is time to make sure they’re developing good dental habits. Even young children can be taught to properly brush and floss their teeth. They can also learn about how their diet can impact their dental health, and why visiting the dentist regularly is key to maintaining a healthy and beautiful smile. So, if you want this year to be one in which your whole family enjoys great oral health, make sure you are teaching your kids to care for their teeth and gums properly!

Drink Water Throughout the Day

One easy way to help prevent dental problems is by teaching your kids to reach for water to drink, throughout the day, rather than sugary beverages, which can be bad for the teeth. Water naturally helps rinse food particles from the surface of teeth. It also helps produce saliva, which naturally limits the ability of plaque to stick to the surface of teeth.

So if your kids are used to drinking milk, juice, and especially sweetened beverages, now is a great time to teach them about the importance of drinking water, instead.

Make Sure Kids Brush and Floss Their Teeth

It is also important that your children learn to both brush and floss their teeth daily. This hygiene routine can greatly reduce their risk of dental problems. Many pediatric dentists recommend kids begin learning to brush on their own, around the same time they learn to tie their own shoes, as this can be good indication that they have developed the dexterity necessary to brush and floss.

Just remember, you should still monitor your kid’s brushing until you trust that they are responsible enough not to swallow toothpaste.