Back to School: Healthy Dental Habits for Kids

Psychology research unearths the amazing world of smiling. Besides being the universal sign of happiness, smiling is linked to a bunch of health benefits. Since the health of your kids is on top of your priority list, maintaining their smile should be too as it is part of their overall health.

When at school, it might be difficult for you to monitor and caution your kids of the habits that may be detrimental to their dental health. However, there are various habits that you can instill in them to ensure that whether you are monitoring them or not, their dental health is safeguarded at all times. Here are the healthy dental habits that you should encourage your kids to espouse:

Adopting good eating habits

Majority of dental problems are caused by bad quality food and poor nutrition. You should not only establish a healthy diet plan at home, but you should also enlighten your kids on the kinds of food stuff they shouldn’t indulge in when at school. Fill their lunchboxes with healthy food and let them know that it’s okay to kindly refuse unhealthy snacks that their friends give them.

Brushing teeth twice a day

Kids should brush their teeth two times per day: in the morning and before bed. Invest in soft brushes and home fluoride. Besides brushing, flossing is another habit that should be adopted. It’s recommended for kids to floss at least once per day, as it’s also an effective way of keeping teeth and gums healthy.

Committing to dental checkups

Dental checkups should be conducted as early as 6 months old. As kids get older, they should have dental exams as often as the dentist recommends. Most dentists advise a dental checkup every 6 months to help prevent dental problems. As a parent, it’s important that you adhere to the schedule that your child’s dentist will recommend. It would be best to align your own dental appointments with those of your kids.

Schedule An Appointment

To help your kids adopt healthy dental habits, it’s wise to introduce those good habits early. Teach them how to brush their teeth at the time their motor skills are still developing. Kids also learn by example. Brush your teeth with them, avoid unhealthy food, and go to dental checkups with them. Moreover, praise your kids when they get it right and reward them after having their dentals checked. Motivation is key! If you’re kids are behind on their checkups, make sure to schedule an appointment in order to get them caught up on their dental work.