Say “Cheese” for Summer

from Shine Newsletter, Summer 2006

Summertime is the perfect time to brush up on dental care with your children.

Take advantage of the slower pace of the summer season for the sake of your children’s smiles — no matter their ages. It is an ideal time for reinforcing important dental hygiene habits like flossing nightly and visiting the dentist for routine checkups.

Tooth Care at Home

When should you start cleaning your child’s teeth? As soon as his first tooth appears, wipe the tooth with a damp cloth twice a day.   Switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush when more teeth come in, and add a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when he is 2 years old.   As soon as he has two touching teeth, begin flossing between them each evening.

“Even once they’re school-aged, kids don’t have the best dexterity and can’t reach everything in their mouths,” says Kendra Allison, dental assistant with Young Dentistry for Children at Children’s. “Parents need to help with brushing and flossing to ensure it’s done properly until their children can write in cursive and tie their shoes.”

Other tooth-friendly habits include drinking fluoridated water and letting your child watch you brush and floss each night.

The Dentist Factor

While following these practices at home will help prevent tooth decay,   it’s also important that your child begin visiting a dentist every six months by his or her first birthday.

“Parents often find that scheduling one of their child’s sixmonth cleanings in the summer is helpful because they have fewer time constraints,” Allison says.   “Also, parents have more time with their kids to make sure the brushing and flossing tips from the dentist or hygienist are being followed at home and carried on into the school year.”

The Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatric Dentistry offers dental care from comprehensive oral healthcare to referrals for dental and craniofacial conditions. To make an appointment, call 720-777-1234.