As most of my patients know, I am a daddy of two young daughters. Many of my patients also have young children and I regularly have the opportunity to exchange funny stories about our kids with them. Once we have a few laughs, I usually begin to reinforce a few good tips for parents and kids in regard to oral health. In this blog, I would like to briefly share a few things I frequently say to my own kids in regards to their teeth. They could probably recite them to you!
- “Never use your teeth to open something”. Instead of tearing open that jelly bean bag with your teeth, grab a pair of scissors.
- “Only brush the teeth you want to keep!” It’s possible for you to never have a cavity if you brush your teeth every 12 hours and stay away from sugary drinks and excessive candy. Trust me, it’s worth the time now so that you don’t have problems in the future. Be sure and brush your teeth before bed, but if you just ate a snack, first chew a piece of sugar free gum to help loosen the food from your teeth. Brushing is a lot more effective if your teeth aren’t caked in plaque.
- “I trust you to brush your own teeth, but every once in a while I need to check and make sure that you are doing a good job. Put your head in mom’s lap so that she can take a good look”.
- “You need to wiggle out that baby tooth, otherwise your mouth will really begin to stink. Yuck!”
- “Did you floss?” Learn to floss your teeth so you can remove all that hidden plaque and food debris. I have learned that it can be very helpful to floss your child’s teeth for them and show them all the yucky stuff that was left in there even after brushing. Seeing it leaves a lasting impression.
Have Fun with those Sweet Kids!
Dr. Cowan
