Preventing Children’s Holiday Cavities

Posted November 7, 2024

Thanksgiving and the holiday season are right around the corner. We love this time of year, but as dental professionals, we know that the holiday season is rife with foods and drinks high in sugar and starch. This could be a recipe for tooth decay! But your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about how to help prevent cavities during the holiday season and beyond.

Sugar, Starch, and Your Kids’ Cavities

When your children sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, they will likely pile their plates with lots of foods containing high levels of sugar and starch. These particles could become left behind on and between the teeth, and could encourage the onset of tooth decay. But we don’t want your kids to skip their favorite selections, but we do want them to protect their smiles from cavities. Which is why we have a few helpful tips for families during the holiday season, and for the rest of the year too!

Tips for Healthy Holiday Meals

Try to encourage your kids to also add fresh fruits and vegetables to their plates. Rougher veggies and fruits, such as fresh carrots, broccoli, and apples, could help scrub away particles of sugar and starch as your kids eat them, lowering the risk of cavities. Also, be sure they drink water with their meals, to help rinse away the sugar and starch left behind. You could also encourage them to floss after they eat, to remove the trapped food particles immediately. In general, keeping smiles of all ages healthy means brushing teeth in the morning and at night for at least two minutes and using a fluoride toothpaste each time, keeping the enamel strong. You also need to floss every evening as well to reach and remove what a toothbrush alone cannot. You can assist your younger kids and monitor your older ones to ensure everyone is brushing and flossing properly.

Checkups and Cleanings

Checkup and cleaning visits are also essential this time of year! When you schedule one now, we can examine the teeth before the holiday season gets too hectic. If we discover signs of trouble, such as a cavity, then our team could conduct a filling, providing a lifelike and biocompatible restoration that is safe for all ages. In the same visit, we will clean the teeth to remove all plaque and tartar. We then polish the teeth, so your kids enjoy a brighter smile and one with a lower risk of cavities and gingivitis.

Preventive Treatments

Did you know that we also offer unique preventive treatments to help lower the risk of tooth decay for smiles of all ages? For example, during your child’s checkup and cleaning visit, our team would apply a fluoride varnish to the teeth to help strengthen the outer enamel and lower the risk of tooth decay. The process takes seconds and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour. We also have dental sealants, a special acrylic coating we add to the rear teeth to prevent food and drink particles from being stuck on or between them. The application takes only a few seconds, and once the layers cure they can stay in place for up to ten years in some cases! Kids just need to avoid food and drink for about 30 minutes after application, and the sealants will gently wear away with time. We can re-apply as needed.

Use Your 2024 Benefits

If you have dental insurance, then you have benefits that will expire at midnight on December 31^st unless you use them. Likewise, if you have a health savings account, then you could have funds that vanish at the end of the year unless used. Our team can help you find out what coverage is available, so you can use them before they’re gone and help your children greet 2025 with a brighter and healthy smile.

If you have any questions about our approach to children’s dentistry, or about how we help prevent the onset of tooth decay, then contact our team today to learn more. We want your kids to smile with confidence and enjoy a bright and healthy smile all year round.

Talk to Our Team About Children’s Dentistry

If you have questions about maintaining good oral health for your children, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our team, call your Dallas, TX pediatric dentist, Dr. Marr, at (214) 321-4880. We can help little ones of all ages enjoy good oral health, from babies and toddlers to kids and teens.