New Years Resolutions For A Healthy Smile

New Years Resolutions for a Healthy Smile

It’s that time of year when we start making resolutions to improve ourselves. Whether it be weight loss, eating better, spending more time with family or learning something new, there is one New Years resolution we should be making that is most likely over looked.  Improving your smile is a great goal to set for the New Year, it is also one that you can include your children in as well.  So how can we include our children in this new goal?  Here are a few simple steps you can take and help your child with as you set forth to improve your smile.

Start off the year with a new toothbrush.  

Most people don’t replace their toothbrushes every three months as recommended by the ADA.  So what better way to kick start your New Year goal than to open up a brand new toothbrush.   If your not sure what kind of new toothbrush you should be getting fro your child visit our past blog Toothbrushes For Your Children to see what the best options would be.

Brushing for 2 minutes 2x’s a day.  

To children 2 minutes can feel like a lifetime, especially if they are tired.  To make it more exciting or to make the time go by faster, try brushing your teeth with them to see who can do a “better” job in 2 minutes.  If that’s not a good option, find your child a fun little tooth sand timer.  Instead of watching the clock, they have to wait for the sand to run out.  Even any regular timer will do as well, after a while they will probably notice that 2 minutes isn’t really that long

Make flossing a daily habit.  

Brushing your teeth is great, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your child is getting all of the plaque buildup off of their teeth.  Flossing is a great way to improve your smile and keep it healthy, by removing that left over plaque or food.  Help your child find a time during the day, whether it’s in the morning or before bed, which they can add flossing to their routine.  You can visit our previous post on Flossing: When to Start and How to Teach Your Children if you need help teaching your children to floss the correct way, or to learn how to floss your child’s teeth for them.

Eat Healthy Foods.  

The holidays are so fun, and filled with so many yummy treats, but that time is over and kids are going back to school.  Packing lunches for your children can be a great way to keep their smile healthy, depending on what is put into that lunch bag.  Lean towards giving your children more fruits and veggies as part of their meals, and even for their snacks.  Try to avoid giving them those tasty fruit snacks, chips and cookies, try saving those for special occasions.  Also try cutting back on sugar, especially after the holidays.  Our previous posts on Snacks That Cause Cavities and Foods For A Healthy Smile can help you make good decisions on what kinds of healthy foods your children should be eating to have a healthy smile.

Drink more water.  

Again, the holidays are a wonderful time yet kids are out of school and maybe they are indulging a little more in the sugary drinks that come with the season.  Start off the New Year by giving your children water, and help them avoid sugary drinks like juice, soda and sports drinks.  It would be best if the water was fluoridated, however that is not always an option for some people.  Even still, choosing water will be much better for your child’s teeth in the long run.

Schedule your child’s 6 month check up.

It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that children should see their dentist every 6 months.  If its’ been a while, call up your child’s dentist and schedule them one for the beginning of this year.  If its easier, schedule their next visit before you leave the office.  Most dental offices can send you reminders either by a phone call, mail reminder, email or a text message if you are unsure about when you will be able to schedule your child’s next appointment.

A healthy smile is definitely a goal worth working towards, so why not make it a New Year resolution.  If you have any questions about how you can help your child have a healthier smile, get that appointment scheduled and talk to their dentist to find out what you can do.  You can also refer back to old post in our blog to learn more about how to keep your child’s teeth healthy.  

Sources:

1. New Year, Healthier Mouth
2. Looking After Your Teeth: Five New Years Resolutions For A Healthier Mouth
3. A New Years You: Dental Health Resolutions

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