Can Your Child Keep Their Valentine’s Smile Healthy This February?
The Neverending Season of Candy
As a child, Christmas and Valentine’s Day can feel like they are miles away from each other. As an adult, sometimes it feels as though you barely finish one before the other shows up. Sure, this keeps life interesting with all of the events and treats, but those candies and other various treats have a way of appearing throughout the house. With all of those sweet treats that never seem to leave, how are you supposed to maintain happy smiles?
Though you might still feel as though you’re recovering from the December sugar rush, February isn’t the time to let your guard down. If you blink, there’s another influx of sugar on the horizon. With the extra candy and other sugar-filled treats, Valentine’s Day is a great time to focus on your child’s dental health! What do we mean by that? It’s a good time to solidify those healthy habits and ensure their little smiles are healthier than ever before.
How Valentine’s Treats Affect Teeth
It’s the season for the heart-shaped candies, heart-shaped chocolates, and heart-shaped boxes filled with…well, candy. February is a sugar-lover’s paradise, but it’s also paradise for cavities. When you’re picking different candies for your child, keep an eye out for those sticky and sugary sweets. They have a way of adhering to the enamel, making quick work on the shield guarding your child’s teeth and forming cavities in record time.
This doesn’t mean you have to prevent your child from enjoying these treats; just limit them where you can and make sure you brush their teeth. When possible, chocolate is usually a better choice! Why? It’s not as sticky as caramels and hard candies, meaning it rinses away a lot easier.
Simple Ways to Protect Your Child’s Smile
As tasty as it might be, all of that sugar has a habit of creating cavities. This doesn’t mean you have to ban it from your household; everyone loves a good treat now and then! Try to limit treats when possible and set a few ground rules.
After enjoying a sweet treat, encourage your child to brush and floss thoroughly. Of course, this isn’t always possible with their busy schedules. If they can’t go straight to a sink to brush their teeth, be sure they drink some water between treats. This isn’t a replacement for brushing their teeth, but it can help wash away some of the sugar that has adhered to the tooth. But whisking away the bacteria isn’t the only reason why water is important for your child’s oral health. Saliva is made primarily of water, which keeps the gums and teeth healthier.
It’s not always possible to redirect from the sugary treats, but when you can, it’s best to offer something a little more tooth-friendly. Snacks like cheese are an excellent way to help boost the health of your child’s teeth. Eating cheese helps stimulate the flow of saliva, which helps keep the teeth clean. It is also filled with calcium and phosphorus, which help strengthen the teeth’s enamel. Similarly, yogurt can also help your child’s oral health thrive! Strawberries are another good option. They’re a sweet treat filled with vitamin C, which helps fight against bacteria and gum inflammation.
Making Dental Care Part of the Celebration
Want a fun way to ensure that brushing their teeth isn’t lost in the shuffle of the day? Turn brushing your child’s teeth into a fun, family routine! This is a good habit, even on days when it isn’t filled with candy and other sweets. Making tooth brushing a family affair helps build a habit that no one can forget!
To make brushing their teeth become part of their daily routine, you can also create a sticker chart and offer rewards for good brushing habits! Try to stick to non-candy varieties, of course. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the habit sticks with them throughout their life.
Schedule a post-Valentine’s Day checkup.
With all of the candy floating around throughout winter, it’s a good time to check the calendar to make sure you have your child’s next tooth cleaning on there. A dental visit helps us spot early signs of decay. Finding any potential problems early helps us keep the teeth strong and prevent costly and invasive procedures later on.
Gone are the days of having to drive hours to the dentist. We Make Kids Smile has locations in both Waldorf and Prince Frederick to help make dental care accessible to everyone!
Remember, those healthy smiles last longer than any Valentine’s candy. With a little extra attention, your child’s smile will make it through the season healthier than ever before. Of course, please remember to get that cleaning on the schedule, so we can repair any problems before they have a chance to get out of control.
