Fitting Oral Hygiene into Your Kids’ Lives

School’s back in session! With all that’s going on this week, you’re probably struggling to remember exactly what life is like when your kids are in school. With each new year come opportunities to rework your family’s daily schedule. This time around, why not make sure that oral health is a priority?

Because you provide your kids with their daily meals, help them build their regular habits, and educate them on a healthy lifestyle, you have the greatest chance of making a difference. And the new schedule that comes with the new school year is an ideal time to make that change. Below, we offer some tips for making sure brushing, flossing, and tooth-healthy foods are a part of the fall quarter – and the coming year. You’ll be thrilled to see your children proclaimed cavity-free at their next appointments (and your kids will be even more excited to avoid the drill).

Making Awesome Oral Health a Daily Priority

There’s so much that we need to focus on each day. Why not take some extra steps to keep oral health at the forefront of your mind? Once you’ve tweaked some of your daily habits, they’ll be tooth-friendly, and work to keep disease at bay.

It’s tough to persuade your kids to care about their teeth and gums; they have more exciting things on their to-do lists. This is why it’s so important that you find ways to introduce health-building moments into their days. With your help, your children can be preventing cavities without feeling like they’re exhausted by the process.

• Pack healthy lunches – You’re the one who brings groceries into your household. It’s up to you to make sure that your food and beverage choices are healthy ones. And school lunches are an ideal place to get started. If you get your kids on the good health bandwagon early on, they’ll enjoy the flavor and experience of these constructive foods throughout life.
• Make oral hygiene more fun – Try printing out an oral hygiene chart for you and your kids to check off your oral hygiene, and make things a little competitive (you can better hold each other accountable this way). Find a 2-minute, kid-friendly song to play during brushing and time the process. Try brushing and flossing as a family to keep each other company. Trust us, it’s possible – hygiene can be fun for kids!
• Engage in tooth-related activities – If your kids don’t believe that sugar and unhealthy foods lead to dental problems, find a visual way to illustrate this process. Different oral health activities will help.

Macomb Pediatric Dentist on Finding Time for Kids’ Oral Hygiene

You’re currently restructuring your family’s days, moving away from the relaxation of summer and back into the rigor of the school year. Make sure that this new schedule accommodates oral hygiene and dental health. Whether this means getting your kids up a little bit earlier each day, choosing different (low-sugar) breakfast cereals, or making sure that the getting-ready-for-bed routine allows enough time with a toothbrush, it’s crucial that you take teeth into consideration.

By helping your kids build healthy teeth today, you prevent them from having to experience an uncomfortable time in the dental chair. This dispels dental anxiety, and paints the dentist’s office as a happy, health-oriented (and not torture-oriented) place. Most adults with dental anxiety formed their negative feelings during childhood; by helping your children feel good about the dentist’s, you keep them from experiencing dental fear throughout their lives.

Have questions about your own family’s oral health? Just get in touch.