Back To School! 5 Tips For A Better Term Time Oral Health Routine
5 Tips To Help Your Kids Get A Better Term Time Brushing Routine
During the summer holidays there is a little more leeway when it comes to oral health routines. You have more time to encourage your children to brush their teeth, and more time to help work through any problems during that morning regime.
When it comes to term time, though, the morning routine can be a little hectic and you don’t have quite as much flexibility to help them to get their pearly whites nice and clean.
The before-school process needs to be as calm and organised as possible, and brushing can be a little bit of a sticking point for kids who aren’t super enthusiastic about it.
The good news is that there are many different ways for you to help your child get into a great routine with brushing their teeth. Hopefully, with the right approach, your child can go into term time with healthy, beautiful teeth and a sense of pride about their oral hygiene. Let’s take a closer look:
Why Is Oral Hygiene So Important For Kids?
Oral hygiene is incredibly important for children because they are developing their lifetime smile. Not only are their baby teeth pushing through to help them learn to chew, speak and express themselves, but they are preserving a space for their permanent adult teeth to push through.
Regular brushing helps children to keep their baby teeth and adult teeth free from plaque and tartar, which can lead to gum disease and contribute to decay (in addition to other factors). With the right routine and regular trips to Abbey Road Dental for checkups, your child can enjoy healthy, strong teeth and confidence about their smile as they move into adolescence and adulthood.
Why Does Oral Hygiene Suffer During Term Time?
Oral hygiene is important all the time when it comes to the health of your kids. Holidays, term time, daytime, nighttime – it all matters. However, term time can be more challenging because the school mornings can be chaotic for most families, and in the evening, kids may be more tired and resistant to their routine. That’s why Abbey Road Dental wants to help you with this particularly challenging aspect of helping your children with their oral hygiene. We’re here to provide plenty of tips and tricks to help you to get ahead of the oral hygiene routine, and to help your child feel settled with their dental care.
Our Top 5 Tips For A Better Term Time Oral Health Routine
The Sooner The Better:
The sooner you can get your child to start their back to school routine, the better. This can not only include their two minute tooth brushing regime, but also things like getting dressed, having breakfast and getting them up and out of the door to their first activity (even if it’s just to play outside for a bit!). This will help with their entire routine, not just their oral health regime. It can take a while to make everything into a habit so, even if it’s just the weekend before school, it’s better than going straight from the holidays to the first day back at school without any practice at all.
Get A Checkup As Soon As You Can:
If possible, get a quick checkup with Abbey Road Dental just to ensure everything is OK. This not only helps with tips on brushing and keeping everything in great shape, but also diagnoses any issues early, so they don’t turn into something nasty and painful later down the line when term time is in full swing.
Get Them Excited About It:
In the same way getting new stationary and a new backpack can be exciting for kids when they start a new term, the same excitement can relate to a new toothbrush and toothpaste. If you let them choose a themed toothbrush and toothpaste in a flavour they like, they will be excited to use it for their new term time routine.
Integrate Lunch Into Their Healthy Smile Routine:
Throughout the summer holidays you have been able to encourage healthy eating for your kids, but now they are at school, temptation will be around in many forms. Try to creatively provide healthy food for them to snack on, or have for their lunch. Colourful crudite dips, veggie crisps, fruit and yogurts are always a winner, giving your child plenty of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are also fantastic for their teeth. It’s not part of their routine, but it will help with their overall dental health and help them understand why it’s important to take care of your body, including your teeth and gums.
Utilise Handy Tech:
Whether you play a song that is two minutes long for your child to brush their teeth to, or you invest in some cute music playing toothbrushes, or tooth brushing game, if it encourages your child to brush their teeth, use it. Some kids respond to watching videos about their heroes brushing their teeth, others do well with a reward system – whatever works for your child, utilise it to help them get into their term time routine with ease.
Speak To Your Local NW8 Dentist For More Tips
Need to register your child with a new NW8 dentist? Or would you like to book your child in for a checkup? Call Abbey Road Dental on 02076241603 and we can help you with registration, booking an appointment, or to provide any information you need to help your child with their oral health. We’re here to help the whole family maintain a healthy and happy smile during term time, and throughout the rest of the year too.