It’s no secret that Texas’ summer sun brings plenty of summer fun. Summer break can be a fun and exciting time for the whole family, but ensuring you don’t forget about your children’s oral health is crucial. With more camp activities, summer holidays, and unpredictable weather, ensuring that your little ones keep up with their dentistry routine takes top priority during this busy season. Lytle Family Dentistry & Orthodontics has created the ultimate guide to children’s dentistry for the summer season:
Offer Well-Balanced Snacks
Good oral hygiene habits are even more critical during these months when opportunities arise to indulge in sugary snacks and other sweet treats. Although it might be tempting to cool off with a popsicle, ice cream, or frozen sugary drink to keep cool, it’s essential to continue eating a healthy diet filled with a wide variety of smile-friendly foods, including:
· Fresh fruits
· Vegetables
· Cheese, yogurt, and milk
· Whole grains
While a treat here and there is fine, make sure to brush and floss as soon as possible after consuming sugary snacks and drinks. When sugar interacts with oral bacteria, it creates plaque, which can coat and harden the teeth and cause cavities.
Hydrate with Plenty of Water
A natural consequence of warm weather is sweating more. Therefore, it’s imperative to quench your thirst during sticky, hot, and humid days. When your children are parched, reach for water instead of juice, sports drinks, or sodas. Sugary drinks feed naturally occurring oral bacteria, which create an acid byproduct that destroys hard dental surfaces and leads to cavities.
One leading reason behind bad breath is dry mouth; saliva helps remove particles and bacteria that lead to bad breath. Fortunately, staying hydrated helps keep the soft tissues in the mouth moist and saliva flowing, reducing the risk of bad breath.
Stick to a Brushing & Flossing Routine
Even though summertime schedules are generally more flexible than daily school routines, don’t forget to continue good hygiene habits throughout the year. Poor oral hygiene can quickly lead to cavities, gum disease, and other painful problems. Whether you’re traveling or lounging at the house, your little one must stick to brushing when they wake up and before bed (as well as flossing once daily).
Book a Children’s Dentistry Visit Before the School Starts
Whether or not it’s been long overdue for your child’s six-month checkup at the dentist or if they are just due for their regular cleaning appointment, know there is still plenty of room in this season to take care of any dental needs. Because of the back-to-school rush, children’s dentistry appointments fill up fast from August to September. Therefore, it’s often easier to schedule back-to-school dental visits during the summer for many families when schedules tend to be more open and relaxed.Lytle Family Dentistry is available Monday through Thursday for dental appointments all summer. Call (830) 264-2694 to book children’s dentistry in Lytle, TX.
