It’s kind of surprising, but did you know that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease in children? It’s true! Helping your children maintain a healthy smile takes some extra work and vigilance, (especially when they are still very young), but your persistence will pay off! February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so there is no better time than now to learn more about good oral care habits for kids from the team here at Westerville Pediatric Dental.
We suggest you and your family treat the month of February as a long opportunity to talk with your child about the importance of taking care of their teeth and gums by practicing good oral hygiene every day. Talk is cheap, of course, so doing things together on a schedule really helps.
Want another great tip? This one is as simple as it gets and is a good habit that creates more good habits. Ready? Drink more water. Plenty of it. And drink it from the tap. Tap water has fluoride in it and that’s great for growing teeth. In case you didn’t know, fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that can help strengthen enamel and combat tooth decay. Since 1945, communities in America have benefited from the small amount of fluoride added to many public water sources. According to the CDC, public water fluoridation helps prevent cavities and strengthen teeth for over 200 million Americans, including millions of children.
As well, the benefits of drinking plenty of water and the dangers of not drinking enough are so well documented we could hardly scratch the surface here. But good hydration is essential to overall health and directly connected to oral care as well as provided a great substitute for kids reaching to sugary drinks.
February is as great a time to double down on reinforcing or creating some great habits. And really–drinking a bunch of tap water over other choices is really easy.
As always, missing something occasionally is perfectly normal in building a new habit, so try to stay positive. Make it fun, let us know how you’re doing through the month, and certainly keep up with your family’s annual checkups!
