Summer Break Is Here, and Your Kids’ Smiles Need a Game Plan

Schools around Kansas City started summer break a few weeks ago, and the official start of summer is right around the corner. For parents with active kids, this means a season full of sports, camps, family vacations, and plenty of changes to their usual routine. Your Kansas City family dentist just wanted to remind you that it’s important to keep your kids’ dental habits on track, no matter what else they might be up to this summer. Here are a few tips to help you keep your kids smiling all summer long!

Keep up their brushing and flossing routines!

So many of our healthy habits are built around routines, especially during the school year. Your kids may set their brushing and flossing schedule around getting ready for school or their weeknight bedtimes. Summer break is a time of major disruption, but it shouldn’t upend your kids’ brushing and flossing routines. Encourage them to make brushing and flossing a daily event, built around predictable things like breakfast and bedtime.

Watch the summer snacking and sipping.

Kids who are on the go are more likely to grab a convenient snack or a sugary beverage rather than sit down for a meal. Unfortunately, sugary snacks and drinks play havoc with dental health, and frequent snacking can be just as hard on teeth as the food itself, especially if you’re not brushing or rinsing right after. Fortunately, your family dentist has a list of tooth-healthy snacks that your kids will love!

Include dental care in your summer plans.

Whether it’s a family road trip or a few weeks at summer camp, trips disrupt normal routines and make everyday activities such as brushing and flossing feel more challenging unless you come prepared. Be sure to pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, and pocket flossers that will help make oral care feel easy, even when your kids are away from home!

Protect smiles during sports and active play.

Kid play a variety of summer sports, and even the gentlest activities can carry the dangers of chipped or cracked teeth and other oral injuries. Fortunately, your dentist has an easy solution that will protect against most dental trauma, no matter what sport your active child is playing this summer. Be sure to invest in a good, custom-fitted mouthguard from your family dentist. Mouthguards aren’t just for football. They protect against all sorts of injuries, whether your kid is at baseball camp, playing a game of neighborhood soccer, or just jumping on the trampoline out back.

There’s one more thing that parents should be sure to do to help protect their children’s smiles, and it may be the most important one of all. Schedule their summer check-up with your family dentist before the summer months get away from you. Biannual checkups are one of the most important things you can do to protect your child’s oral health. Not only do they include a thorough cleaning, but they also help dentists to spot areas of concern before they develop into more serious problems.

Summer will be over before you know it. Back-to-school season is just around the corner. Before those school supplies start showing up in stores, be sure to get your kids in for that summer checkup at Blacker Family Dental.

Remember, folks, Blacker Family Dental in Kansas City is here for all your family’s dental needs all year round, from regular checkups and toothaches to cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, Invisalign treatments, and so much more. Call (816) 763-8400 or click here to schedule an appointment today before the summer slips away!