There are a lot of bad habits out there in the world. TV addiction, smoking, biting fingernails, constant Facebook viewing, the list can go on forever. But there are certain bad habits that we really care about. We’re concerned about common bad habits that you overlook and could be hurting your children’s dental health.
If you’ve caved in to your kid wanting a sugary drink, make sure they brush their teeth afterward so they’re not sleeping with sugar on their teeth all night.
I’m sure many parents are guilty of this, but that’s only because they don’t know the negative effects. When your child drinks juice, chocolate milk or even just plain milk, just before bedtime withoutbrushing their teeth afterward, the sugar in those beverages lingers on the teeth. And we should all know that this leads to tooth decay and cavities. But kids can be difficult and may insist on a drink. If you must offer your child a drink before bed, make sure it is only water. Now, if your child does have a sugary drink before bedtime, make sure they brush their teeth before going to bed.
Most kids eat or even need to eat snacks in between meals (unlike us adults unfortunately). But your kid should be eating the right snacks. Too many snacks are chock full of sugar like candy, cookies, fruit snacks, sugary drinks, etc. You’ve got to rein in on this sugar intake and instead provide snacks that are filled with complex carbohydrates. These carbs don’t break down so readily into sugars, which promote cavity formation. Go with fruit instead of candy when giving your children snacks. Also, if sweets are going to happen, keep them limited to meal time. Saliva created when eating a meal will help keep the sugar from subsequent sweets from sticking to kid’s teeth.
You don’t have to get this boring with snacks (kids are unlikely to eat veggies for snacks anyway). But try to substitute fruits for sweets when you pack snacks.
Now this should be obvious. Unfortunately, too many parents do this. We understand: kids are a handful, to say the least. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong with them. As a result, kids tend to mess up your nicely drawn out schedule. And as things come up, too many parents skip the dentist appointment they made for their child to keep on schedule.
No matter how good looking your child’s teeth are nor how busy yours and their schedule, children must go to the dentist every six months. We are here not only to help with children and tooth decay. During a standard appointment we perform preventive cleaning, discuss good oral health habits and help children become comfortable with regular dental care—something which we know is not always easy. Don’t make the mistake of skipping appointments. Instead, always schedule the next six-month appointment before you leave the dentist’s office after your cleaning appointment.
