Keep a Healthy Smile All Summer

How to Achieve Optimal Oral Health All Summer

With school out of session, the summertime can feel like a holiday with fun trips and delicious food. It can be tempting to indulge in sugary treats, soda, and starches. However, keeping your teeth clean and having great oral health requires more than frequent check-ups at the dentist. Maintaining a good routine for personal hygiene as well as keeping a balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can ensure a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile.

It is important to stick to a healthy diet and avoid temptations like splurging in unnecessary foods and drinks that may complicate your oral health. Here are some tips from our Santa Clarita oral experts that can help you maintain healthy teeth and gums this summer.

Keep Up With Personal Hygiene & Stick With It!

Don’t let your child take a break from their regular school year brushing and flossing routine just because it’s summer. It is always important to brush twice a day for two minutes and floss between teeth once daily. No matter what time they wake up during the summer months, make sure they take time to brush in the morning and before bedtime. A good tip is to set an alarm for brushing teeth both in the morning and at night. Healthy habits followed daily can help keep away cavities and gum disease.

Skip the Unhealthy Foods & Sodas

Vitamin C and calcium can help promote healthy gums, so it’s a good idea to have a high diet rich in these. Eating nutrient and vitamin-rich snacks such as berries, fresh fruits, cheese and lower-sugar yogurts are a healthy alternative to fruit juices and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Try and avoid any overindulging in sugary treats and drinks.

Drinking and eating candy, juice, soda, or ice cream only increases the chance of building more plaque and cavities. It’s a good idea for kids to always have a healthy snack in the fridge or a bowl on the countertop when they wander through the kitchen, looking for easy-to-grab snacks.

A few good examples of summertime snacks include:

• Greek yogurt
• Meat and cheese roll-ups
• Broccoli, peppers, celery, and spinach
• Apples, pears, oranges, watermelon, berries

Drink & Cool Off with Plenty of Water

By far the healthiest beverage to maintain good oral and overall health is drinking water. An added benefit in certain types of waters including mineral water may include fluoride, which can strengthen tooth enamel. Good tips are minimizing sugar exposure on their developing teeth such as soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks. These are also acidic, which wears down tooth enamel, leaving them prone to cavities and tooth stains.

Interested in learning more about oral health with oral experts at Adventure Dental and Orthodontics? Call our Santa Clarita office today at (661) 251-0200 or contact us online for more information.