Tips to Protect Your Kids’ Teeth This Christmas Season

Christmas season is just around the corner. Kids are more excited than adults. They have already started planning their Christmas wish lists. Though Christmas brings happiness, it can also bring several oral health problems for kids. The holidays can be rough on teeth, especially for kids. From sweet treats to unlimited drinks at holiday parties, it can be hard to keep their teeth healthy this time of year. However, there are things you can do to prevent cavities and keep your child's teeth healthy during the holiday season. The following guide walks you through how cavities occur and what you can do to protect your child's teeth from tooth decay this holiday season.

What Can You Do To Prevent Tooth Decay And Cavities?

• The best way to keep your child's teeth healthy during the holiday season is to limit their consumption of sweets. While your children may crave many of the treats this time of year, it is best to keep their consumption to a minimum. This includes avoiding sticky candies and baked goods that cling to the teeth for a long time. 
• Encourage your children to eat more nutritious foods this Christmas season, such as nuts, cheese, and other dairy products. Healthy snacking habits that begin early will help your child maintain good oral hygiene as they grow older. You can also offer water to quench their thirst instead of juice or soda. This will help to keep their smile healthy and cavity-free.
• Give kids candy in moderation or not at all. If they insist on eating something sweet, give them a small piece and limit how often they eat it. Also, avoid hard candies like candy canes and lollipops. These stick to teeth and can be extremely difficult to remove. Also, encourage brushing after consuming sugar-filled sweets. This way, you can be sure your kids aren't leaving any pieces of candy on their teeth. Leaving the sugar on their teeth can lead to cavities.
• Try using Xylitol in place of sugar when baking desserts. Not only does it reduce tooth decay, but it tastes the same as regular sugar!
• Eating treats with meals can help protect teeth from decay. When you eat a meal, your mouth produces more saliva, which rinses away plaque-causing bacteria. The less time between meals, the less time there is for the mouth to produce saliva.
• Also, be sure to review proper oral hygiene techniques with them, so they know how to correctly brush and floss their teeth. You should start brushing as soon as that first tooth emerges and continue doing so until they are old enough to brush their teeth on their own.
• Use fluoride toothpaste for kids and brush their teeth at least twice a day to help strengthen the enamel and prevent tooth decay and cavities. Fluoride also provides topical protection on areas where milk teeth have surfaced.
• Also, take your kids for regular dental visits every six months to ensure they maintain proper oral health and catch any potential problems early on.

Call your pediatric dentist for more information about taking care of your child's teeth this Christmas season protect. If it has been six months since you or your children visited the dentist, schedule an appointment with us today. Visit us at 3895 W 7800 S #203, West Jordan, UT 84088. Contact us at (801) 282-6901 or visit our website to book an appointment with us.