Ensure your kids maintain optimal health with these 5 easy-to-do tips

By encouraging and showing your child the importance of healthy teeth as soon as their teeth erupt, you are nominalising good oral hygiene and proper diet. The benefit of this, according to the Australian Dental Association, is a higher chance of better oral health for your child’s adult life. The school holidays can be a good time to help instil good oral hygiene and a good diet before the chaos of returning to school.

Here are 5 back to school dental health tips:

  1. Visit the dentist regularly
Australian Dental Association recommends visiting the dentist every 6 months. This allows your Smile Perfection dentist to take care of your child’s teeth and gums. Even though baby teeth are not permanent, they act as placeholders for adult teeth as well as help with speech and chewing. It has been shown that children who suffer tooth decay go on to have more problems with their adult teeth. In some instances, an infected or decayed baby tooth can negatively affect how adult teeth erupt. By visiting your dentist every six months we can help you and your child maintain a healthy smile.
  1. Develop a routine
It is important to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. And we know that in the rush to get to school some children will skip brushing their teeth. If you can make brushing every morning a routine from a young age, kids will generally not question it. You can also make it fun for them by allowing them to choose a toothbrush that’s their favourite colour or has their favourite cartoon characters on it.
  1. Incentivise good oral hygiene
Rewarding your child for good dental habits will help them to have positive associations with good oral hygiene. An example of this is to reward them for choosing to pack a piece of fruit in their lunchbox rather than chocolate.
  1. Keeping teeth clean at school
While many dentists would like to see children brush their teeth after each meal to help keep their teeth healthy, this is impractical at school. Instead, you can encourage your child to rinse their mouth with water after each meal. This will help to remove some of the food particles which can contribute to the production of plaque.
  1. Buy a mouthguard before they return to school
Staying active is so important. Before your child goes back to school, we recommend getting them a custom-made mouthguard, especially for children who participate in sports on a weekly basis. A custom-made mouthguard is better for their teeth, gums and jaw than an over-the-counter one size fits all. Mouthguard’s have also been proven to mitigate some of the damage of a concussion. Buying a custom-made mouthguard from your dentist for your child is a great way to help them stay safe while they have fun playing sports.

Let us help you keep your kids healthy this year

Smile Perfection has two locations in Brisbane: Bulimba and Aspley. Our friendly team work with patients of all ages to ensure they receive the best dental care and are able to maintain good oral health for life. If you would like to know more about how Smile Perfection can help you, or your child, contact us today.