Helping Your Teens Navigate Their Dental Health
It can be difficult to navigate a child’s dental health. Children don’t always brush properly and have a habit of enjoying sweets, gummies, and other goodies that can lead to decay and other damage. The one positive when dealing with a child’s oral health is that parents can try to restrict certain foods or assist with the oral hygiene routine to ensure that a child is cleaning and caring for their teeth properly. We notice more problems arise as children enter into their teen years. Teenagers begin to test the waters of adulthood and push back against boundaries. Since we were all teenagers at one point, we can appreciate the need to find your own identity. However, with their newfound freedom, many teens become involved with friends and activities and forget about caring for their own hygiene, especially their oral health.
How to Help Your Teen’s Oral Health
Even if you don’t have a teenager at home, you may know one. Parents often believe that teenagers aren’t listening, and although it may not seem like it, they are hearing what you say. The best thing you can do for your child is to encourage healthy habits and stress the importance of cleaning your teeth properly. When this is started at a young age, it becomes so ingrained that the behaviors and habits will continue through the teen years and into adulthood. Other tips to help protect your teen’s teeth include:
- Limit soft drinks and sport drinks and encourage drinking water instead
- Provide healthy snack options and discourage fast food and junk food
- Encourage brushing and flossing after meals, especially when wearing braces
- Discuss the dangers of sharing toothbrushes
If you, your teen, or another loved one has not visited our office located in Terre Haute, IN recently for a hygiene examination, we encourage you to call today to schedule an appointment. Be sure to notify our office of any concerns that you might have. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!
