4 back to school dental health tips

Hey Surfers,

We hope you have been busy beating the heat! Your Jr. surfers may not be thinking about back to school yet, but almost every parent we have talked to is back to school shopping, prepping and scheduling. With all the pending changes, now is the time to focus on healthy eating habits. Not only for our children’s oral health, but for their brain development as well.

Keeping your teeth clean is very important. As adults, we know we need to brush 2x a day, and floss between meals. For those of us with toddlers, however, and even bigger kids, we know getting them to do this is like pulling teeth (which we are trying to avoid!!)

Lucky for us, we have compiled a list of teeth cleaning foods that will aid with keeping teeth clear of plaque while you and your little ones eat healthily. Check out the links below to see some super cool ocean themed snack ideas from the web. Fit one or more of these foods into your child’s lunch every day to make both of your smiles brighter and brighter!

Carrots – These roots are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and flavor, and so are good for growing bodies. Carrots also provide a hefty dose of fiber, which is great for scrubbing your teeth, cleaning your gut, and will also act as a stimulant for increased production of saliva. The PH of our saliva combats the bacteria and leftover food that can often result in cavities, halitosis, and other oral health risks. Check out this idea for keeping kids crunching through carrots!

Apples – Apples are nature’s toothbrush. These delicious fruits, especially the skin, will scrub your teeth clean, and clean your tongue and throat, which will keep bad breath at bay. Their high fiber content acts as saliva stimulant, as well and will aide with protecting your teeth from cavities. Here’s a cute idea to make sure apples are welcome on every plate.

Cheese – The protein and calcium in cheese are essential building blocks of bones and tooth enamel. Beyond that, cheese has also been shown to increase the PH of saliva and increase saliva in general. Both of these side effects have been shown to reduce tooth decay and protect against cavities, which makes cheese an ideal late-night snack. Check out this cheesy idea to dress up your cheese.

Celery – All those strings getting stuck in between your kid’s teeth are actually helping to clean your teeth! Yay! Plus, it helps produce saliva, like the others on this list, which provides PH protection. Not to mention celery is full of vitamins A, B6, C calcium, folate, etc. and will help with digestion. Here’s a clever way to make celery more than appealing to your littles.

Join us in saying no to tartar by naturally removing plaque and buildup all day everyday! Stay cool in every way and just keep paddling!

As a friendly reminder, be sure to get your pediatric dental appointments booked at your local Surfside Kids Dental before school starts! Most dental insurance companies will pay for all or part of your kid’s cleanings bi-yearly. Now is a great time to get in!