Happy Holidays From Sunshine Smiles

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Melbourne, and your pediatric dentists at Sunshine Smiles wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas! Of course as your child’s dentist we wanted to remind you of how important helping your child keep up with their oral care routine is during this busy holiday season.

While visions of sugar plums, Christmas cookies, and holiday fudge dance around in their heads, it’s important to remember they always need to brush their teeth. The barrage of sugary treats that make Christmas one of the best holidays ever can cause severe damage to primary and permanent teeth alike. If you don’t want to have a Grinchy cavity to deal with going into the New Year, make sure you remind your kids to do these three things:

• Brush their teeth twice a day. With Santa on the way, staying up late watching Frosty The Snowman, and enjoying the company of friends and family it can be easy to forget to make that oh-so-important trip the the bathroom sink. But brushing away the excess sugar every night and prepping your teeth for a day of treats and carols by brushing in the morning can ensure that your child’s teeth stay strong and cavity free throughout the holiday season.

• Floss their teeth once a day. Flossing is the best way to get those pesky nuts and candy cane pieces out from between their teeth. With all the sweets they’ll encounter while they’re on their winter break, it’s important to make sure they remove everything that could potentially cause decay.

• Drink plenty of water. Although egg nog, cider, and hot chocolate are pouring freely during the Christmas season, it’s important to make sure your child is also drinking their fair share of water. Water can help rinse away the sugars in cookies and candy canes immediately after they’re eaten. Serving your child water with every meal and making sure they drink it throughout the day can double up their cavity fighting efforts along with keeping them hydrated.

The Christmas season is one of the merriest times of the year for your children and family. With these three tips it’s easy to make sure that they’re taking care of their teeth during this exciting time. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with your local kids dentist in the New Year to see how well they did at keeping their teeth cavity free this holiday season, give us a call at Sunshine Smiles. And remember – Christmas comes but once a year, but healthy teeth can last you a lifetime.