New Year, New Teeth – Healthy Habits Start Here

Happy New Year! New Year resolutions are a great way to start the year off with healthy habits. This year, add oral hygiene to your family’s list of resolutions. Maintaining a routine to keep those smiles sparkly and white is the simplest way to keep your family’s mouths happy and healthy. Oral hygiene has a direct correlation to a person’s overall health, so keeping your teeth and gums clean is a very important element of making 2017 a healthy year.

Starting healthy habits early on is the easiest way to ensure that children will maintain the proper care that their teeth need. Since teeth are with us for our entire lives, the earlier the healthy habits begin, the longer the teeth will maintain their good health. Make 2017 the year that your family begins the healthy habits that your children can carry with them for their entire lives.

Everyday Habits

Our teeth are there for us everyday, so we should return the favor and give them the care that they need everyday. Going through the same routine with your children every single day and making it clear that caring for and protecting their teeth is a very important job can help them create the healthy habits that they need to keep their teeth at their best for the entire lives.

-Brushing:

This year, make it a goal to brush twice a day, everyday for two whole minutes. The easiest way to do this is to brush right after waking up and right before going to bed. Brushing your teeth is one of the most basic methods of maintenance, so many people may be surprised to hear that they are not brushing correctly. Make sure that when you are teaching your children to brush, you emphasize the front and backs of teeth and to brush in several directions. And don’t forget the tongue!

-Flossing

Dedicating some time once a day after brushing to flossing is a great way to ensure that all food and plaque is removed from the spaces that brushing cannot reach. Create healthy flossing habits in your child’s bedtime routine and they will begin to understand the importance of taking the proper care of their teeth. Make sure that they are getting in between all teeth and are not being too rough on their gums.

Say Yes to Fluoride

Fluoride mouthwash is an excellent way to prevent cavities and build strong teeth. It is especially beneficial for children because it can help harden the enamel on baby teeth and adult teeth before they even emerge. Starting the healthy habit of using a fluoride mouthwash in your children’s bedtime routine can benefit them for their entire lives, as they continue to take good care of the strong teeth they built up while they were still growing. Ask your child’s dentist which fluoride mouthwash they recommend for your child. 2017 is the year for healthy and growing smiles!

Avoid Gummy Vitamins

At Sunshine Smiles, one of our biggest culprits for causing cavities is the use of gummy vitamins. We would love to see this habit get turned around in 2017. These vitamins are glorified candies, and cause a great deal of damage to children’s teeth. The gummy material sticks to teeth and can become lodged in between teeth for long periods of time. The sugary substance that the gummy vitamins are made of causes a great deal of cavities in patients that we see daily. Ditch the gummy vitamin habit this year and help us cut down on filling cavities.

Snack Smart

When it comes to eating, your teeth are the first thing in your body to be exposed to the food. The food you eat affects your oral health from the second you start chewing. Smart snacking is important for your teeth because the food comes in contact with your entire mouth and it also provides the nutrition that your body needs to fight off disease and grow to be big and strong.

Staying away from sugary and sticky foods is a great habit to begin this year for your children’s oral health and their overall well-being. The longer food sticks to teeth, the more time it has to cause damage to them. Drinking enough water is a great way to wash away some food particles and keep bacteria in the mouth down.

Prevention

By making the decision to start creating healthy habits in your child’s dental routine, you are helping prevent cavities, diseases, and discomfort. Prevention is the best method for healthy smiles and staying on track with dentist appointments can help guarantee that you are preventing any damage to your child’s teeth. Visit sunshine smiles every 6 months for an oral exam and professional cleaning. Start 2017 off right by instilling these healthy habits in your children’s oral hygiene routine and their beautiful smiles will last them a lifetime.