During the holidays, its easy to let diet and exercise habits wane as baked goods abound and schedules are disrupted for get-togethers, but your children’s dental care is another important habit that may get off track in the busy holiday season. With the increase in candies and sweets that many adults and children alike consume during the fun, it’s more important than ever to make sure your kids are brushing and flossing well. Here are a few tips for getting your children’s dental health routines back on track for the new year. 

3 Tips for Boosting Kids’ Dental Care After the Holidays

1. Remind Them How to Brush

It can be easy to rush through brushing teeth and not brush for the recommended two minutes necessary to do the job well, so make sure your children are doing a thorough job. Brush teeth together to ensure your child knows around how long to brush based on your example, and show them how to reach every tooth to ensure each one gets the attention it needs to stay clean and healthy.

2. Keep or Start Flossing

If your child still has their baby teeth, their teeth may not have settled closely enough together to need to start flossing yet. However, flossing removes food particles that get trapped between teeth that are tight against each other, so if your child hasn’t already started flossing for this reason, it may be time to reassess their need. Make sure any children who need to be flossing know how to wind floss around their fingers and then push and pull the floss through the tight spaces between teeth. 

3. Return to Tooth-Friendly Diets

After all the sugary fun the holidays often bring, getting everyone back to eating healthy foods and drinks will aid not only their overall health but also their dental care. Cut back on sugary sodas and juices, candies, and baked goods, and once any spoils of the holiday have been consumed, avoid buying more in the new year. This will help protect your children’s teeth as well as helping them have better energy and fewer sugar crashes. 

If you need compassionate, personalized dental care for the children in your family, Dr. Chris Coplin of Alaska Dentistry for Kids in Anchorage, AK, treats children of all ages, from birth through high school. This kids’ dentist office also specializes in special needs dentistry for unique patients and offers specialty services such as laser surgery for tongue-tie syndrome. For more information, contact them online or call their office directly at (907) 274-2525.