Back to school means back to brushing basics
As children in Scotland return to school after the summer holidays, parents and carers can take a breath and return to the norms of a basic routine. Amongst the mayhem of summer holidays, one thing that perhaps fell out of the routine, and may not have been prioritised, is dental health and essential teeth brushing.
Clyde Munro Dental Group is reminding parents and carers of the importance of children’s dental health and how encouraging their children to brush their teeth consistently now, will ensure they have a habit of a lifetime for the future.
Clyde Munro dentist James Campbell, based at the group’s Gilmore Dental Practice in Edinburgh, reminds us of the importance of habit-forming dental health from a young age:
“Let’s be honest: in the summer holidays your routine can fall out of the window but back to school is the perfect time to reset, return to routine and restart some great dental health habits. We see that children who form good dental health habits as a child will usually maintain these into adulthood.”
Campbell sets out his top teeth brushing tips to ensure that your child can maintain great dental health.
- Consistency: Ensure that your child brushes their teeth twice a day. There is a good case for brushing before breakfast, but by far the most important time is before bed at nighttime (making sure nothing but water goes in the mouth afterward), so never miss this one.
- Help: Up to the age of nine, kids need some help with cleaning their teeth – ranging from direct supervision to finishing the job yourself. Generally, you will need to brush for them at least until they have mastered tying their shoelaces.
- Time: It takes at least two minutes to brush teeth properly. Our attention spans are shorter these days, thanks to electronic devices, so to help keep going for long enough, you could try playing a song that your child loves, around 2-3 minutes long, and brush right to the end.
- Make it fun: Teeth brushing can be gamified, and there are many free mobile apps to help with this. Using dental disclosing tablets is another option, which will not only show you and the kids where you’re missing with your brush but also is a novelty and visually engaging.
- Reward charts with stickers: These can really help to motivate little (and bigger!) ones – ask your dentist as these are usually freely available at Clyde Munro.
- Perseverance: Don’t give up. Some days it will be a battle but keep doing the best you can. It is essential to guide your children through consistent teeth brushing. This is a habit they will benefit from their entire life.
Campbell also warns parents about the risks of allowing children to have fizzy drinks, and sugary food and drinks too often. Campbell says:
“There is a far greater risk to dental health for those who have fizzy drinks, and sugary food and drinks too frequently. These directly lead to tooth decay. The safest thing to take between mealtimes is always plain water. Although the rules may have relaxed during the summer holidays, now is your opportunity to cut down on these again and set boundaries to ensure your child’s teeth are protected.”