‘Tis the season for sweets! We love the holidays for many reasons: decorations, family time, and of course the food! During these weeks, you can’t help but be inundated with cookies, candy, and loads of other delectable desserts. Unfortunately, this applies to your kids as well. Between school, family gatherings, and other holiday activities, your littles ones are bound to be faced with candy canes, Christmas cookies, or other sweet treats. At Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry, we want to help you remember to protect their little smiles throughout the holiday season!
Deck the halls with dental care
With the season upon us, make sure to use these simple dental tips to prevent plaque, build-up, and cavities in your children's’ teeth!
Don’t skip dessert
It may sound too good to be true - but it’s not! According to Colgate, it’s better to incorporate dessert into the meal. Rather than serving dessert last or separately, integrating a sugary dessert with other healthy foods will assist in displacing the sugar from their teeth. As an added bonus, those healthy foods will also help counteract acids from the ingested sugar!
Cut down on candy
Monitoring your child’s candy consumption could seem overwhelming, but it’s crucial to the health of their teeth. Hard candy, like the seasonal candy cane, are sucked on and in the mouth for a long time - causing them to pose the biggest risk to the teeth. Don’t forget - it’s all about moderation! Remind your children what can happen to their teeth if they eat too much candy or cookies. You don’t have to be a total downer, but warning them could curb their sweet tooth a little.
Teeth are not for tearing
There’s very little more exciting than opening presents during the holidays! When your children are ripping into their presents under the tree, they may be tempted to open packages with their teeth instead of waiting for your help with scissors or a knife. Keep a watchful eye while presents are being opened and remind your children not to use their teeth!
Don’t blank on brushing
Throughout the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s important to not neglect daily dental hygiene! After a busy night of looking at Christmas lights and sipping on hot cocoa, make sure your little one still brushes and flosses their teeth before bed.
Keep up with cleanings
Kids are out of school for winter break - what a great time to schedule a dental cleaning and checkup. Check your calendar and determine when is the best time to get your child into the dentist chair before they have to head back to school.
Give the gift of clean teeth
The holidays are the perfect time to make dental hygiene fun! If you’re looking for great stocking stuffer ideas, consider putting fun toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss in your children’s stockings. You can easily find toothbrushes and toothpaste with your child’s favorite cartoon or movie character at your local grocery store or online!
