3 Steps to a Sparkling Summer Smile

As summer approaches, schedules are going to hasten as many families travel or children go to camp. As activities heat up, it’s easy to fall out of a healthy oral routine. But, there are a few simple ways that you can keep your smile healthy all summer long. This summer, follow these three steps to get a sparkling smile. 

Drink More Water

Water can drastically improve your overall health, and does a lot to promote a healthy mouth. Did you know that saliva is 99% water? Or that saliva is critical in the fight against cavities? This makes it imperative that you drink plenty of water so that you can keep your enamel strong, and stay cavity-free. When you are low on saliva, you will most likely experience dry mouth – a condition that makes it hard to swallow and chew because of a lack of saliva. By drinking enough water, you help prevent dry mouth and ensure that your saliva is produced at an optimal rate. 

Water also helps prevent cavities by rinsing food debris away from in between teeth.

Eat Mouth Healthy Foods

Certain foods can clean your teeth as you eat them, and promote improved oral health. For instance, apples can help cleanse and clean teeth, and fight bad breath. The fibrous content of apples cleans teeth by acting as a toothbrush and scrubbing away plaque from teeth, and removing other food debris. The acid in an apple helps kill off bad bacteria that encourages bad breath.  

Similar to apples, carrots are full of fiber and clean teeth by scrubbing plaque as you eat. Carrots also stimulate saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth. In addition to cleaning teeth, carrots also contain multiple B vitamins, which fight gingivitis!  

Brush Twice per Day

Food debris left on teeth encourages bacteria growth that eats away at enamel and causes cavities. This is why it is important to brush twice per day, for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day to clean debris from the hard-to-reach areas of your child’s teeth. Brushing and flossing is the most important way to keep your mouth healthy, and fight plaque buildup. 

Visit Our Office

As your child’s school year concludes, consider scheduling a dental checkup with our office. The summer is a perfect time for us to evaluate the state of their smile, and help them get into healthy oral routines that they will practice all year round. Visit our contact page, and call our office to schedule an appointment.