4 Ways to Help Your Kids Take Care of Their Teeth This Fall

Kids don’t always take the best care of their teeth. As a parent, your job is to help them! Your child’s dentist in Reseda, CA, can help as well. At Canby Dental, we provide resources to parents and good dental care to kids to help our pediatric patients maintain healthy teeth and gums. If you’re looking for ways to take care of your child’s teeth this fall, we have great suggestions. See below.

1. Watch Their Sugar Intake

Sugar contributes to tooth decay and cavity development. You can help your child avoid cavities by watching their sugar intake. Pack sugarless snacks in their lunch whenever possible. Some suggestions include:

• Boiled eggs
• Peanut butter crackers (natural peanut butter with no sugar)
• Nuts
• Cheese and crackers

2. Monitor Their Brushing Habits

Not all kids are capable of brushing their teeth properly. Until your child turns about 7 or 8 years old, you should be brushing their teeth for them. When your child is finally old enough to brush their teeth, it’s still helpful to monitor their toothbrushing to ensure they’re doing it twice daily and doing it the right way.

Ask them if they’ve brushed their teeth in the evening, and check in on their toothbrushing from time to time. Check to ensure they’re doing it long enough, using enough toothpaste, and so on. Consider giving your child a timer to help them brush their teeth for two minutes at a time, or maybe give them an electric toothbrush that will work for two minutes before shutting off.

3. Make Their Regular Appointment with the Dentist

The dentist may recommend that your child get their teeth cleaned once annually or twice per year. If this is the time of year when your child needs to see the dentist, make the appointment as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the holidays when you’re busy to try to fit in their dental exam in Reseda, CA.

4. Watch for Signs of Trouble

Take notice if your child is complaining of tooth pain. If your child has bad breath, ask them if they brushed their teeth. If your child says they did brush their teeth and their breath is still bad, this could be a sign of a cavity.