Summer is here, and with all the excitement from no school, endless sunshine, and warm weather can make it more challenging to stick to your family’s routine.
To ensure your oral health doesn’t fall to the wayside, Bridge Creek Dental has put together five tips for keeping your teeth healthy throughout the summer.
Follow a Routine
Gone are the days where your children are up at 6 am, teeth brushed, and out the door by 7 am for school. While summer allows for a lot more flexibility to your schedule, it can make it easy to fall out of your everyday family routines.
Although changing up your schedule in the summer is perfectly normal, it’s important to make sure that teeth brushing and flossing aren’t something that gets skipped! Don’t let the sunshine and good weather distract you from keeping up with proper oral hygiene.
No matter the season, you and your family should continue brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily to prevent the buildup of bacteria and plaque.
Limit Your Sugar Intake
One of the best parts of summer vacation is the assortment of snacks that come into season! From bowls of hand-picked strawberries and freshly squeezed lemonade to late-night ice cream runs, the summer is jam-packed with tasty treats that leave everyone crawling back for seconds (and maybe even thirds!).
All these sugary treats can wreak havoc on your oral hygiene if your teeth aren’t properly brushed afterward. Snacking too often or snacking sugary foods increases the risk of cavities and other issues, which is why it’s important to brush at least twice a day. We even recommend brushing right after eating a sugary treat — even if it means you brush three or four times that day.
Pack Healthy Snacks
To limit the amount of sugar caking onto your teeth and causing a buildup of plaque, find ways to incorporate healthier snacks into your family’s diet. Whether your children are attending day camp or you’re planning weekly family picnics at the park, filling your cooler with sugar-free snacks like celery, carrots, crackers, nuts, and string cheese are a great way to have a treat without overloading your mouth with excess sugar.
Drink Water (But Skip the Bubbles!)
One of the easiest ways to keep your mouth looking and feeling fresh is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. This is extra important in the hot summer months when it is easier for you to become dehydrated. Not only will upping your water intake ensure you’re hydrated and ready to take on the day, but it will help clear out any plaque-causing bacteria building up within your mouth.
Keep in mind that not all waters are created equal. While seltzer waters are all the rage right now, you should limit them when possible. Carbonated drinks can wear down your enamel over time, which can cause irreversible damage.
Schedule Back-to-School Preventative Dental Care
To keep your teeth looking their best, it’s important to visit the dentist at least twice a year for preventative dental care. Before school starts up again and life becomes a bit more hectic — from school to sporting events and everything else on your to-do list — you should check your preventative dental visit on the list.
Whether you make it a family affair or schedule appointments for your children, so they don’t need to miss school for a dental appointment, Bridge Creek Dental’s experts are here to clean, care for, and maintain the health of your teeth.
If you’re ready to schedule your back-to-school next dental cleaning, contact us to schedule appointments for your family’s preventive care today.