Healthy School Holidays – the Dental Edition

Healthy School Holidays – the Dental Edition

The school summer holiday hopefully brings six glorious weeks of sunshine but occupying an energetic child when the weather is good (and not so good) isn’t easy. While the odd treat here and there is wonderful, children can sometimes reach for the sugar just for something to do and too much can lead to tooth decay and toothache.

DenTek have teamed up with dentist Dr Jo Kearsley from the Dental Referral Centre in Dronfield to encourage a healthy summer holiday!

Here are Jo and DenTek’s Top 5 Tips

To encourage great oral hygiene in children during the school holiday.

1. Ensure children brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and clean between the teeth once a day. Leave at least 30 minutes after eating acidic foods before brushing to avoid eroding the tooth enamel
   
2. Keep to a routine – school may be out for summer but a morning and evening routine is still important
   
3. Start young! Start brushing as soon as milk teeth appear or even before you can see them
   
4. Limit sugary snacks and drinks and replace with healthier options such as a fun fruit salad or try playing a game instead of eating
   
5. Introduce interdental cleaning when 2 teeth touch between the ages of 2 and 6
   
6. Make it fun with songs and a star chart for every time your child brushes their teeth for 2 minutes
   
   

Did you know 77% of tooth decay starts between the teeth but a toothbrush alone cleans just 60% of the tooth? To hit the other surface areas that the toothbrush can’t reach, the importance of adding interdental cleaning cannot be overstated. Oral hygiene products such as DenTek’s floss picks and interdental brushes are vital and can be introduced at an early age. In fact, dentists recommend children start interdental cleaning as soon as two teeth are touching.

By starting early and teaching children how to do a thorough dental clean, parents are setting them up with good oral hygiene habits that will stay with them as they grow. In short, it’s one of the best life skills a parent can teach their child!