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5 Tips to Keep Your Family’s Smiles Healthy This Summer

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Boy in innertube smiles after visiting Rocky Hill family dentistThe weather is warming up, the sun is shining, and summer vacation is finally here! While it’s a great time of year for your family to enjoy some well-earned rest and relaxation, it can also be tough on their oral health if you don’t take a few extra precautions. The last thing any of you need is for your fun in the sun to be cut short by a cavity, or worse, a knocked-out tooth! Here are five easy tips from your Rocky Hill family dentist to help keep your loved ones’ smiles sunny all season long!

Tip #1: Don’t Relax Your Dental Routine

Now that your family is enjoying time off from school and work together, you finally have a chance to relax a little. However, that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your daily dental routine! Regular at-home oral hygiene is your number one defense against oral health issues like tooth decay, gum disease, and oral infections. Make sure that everyone is taking the time to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day and flossing daily.

Tip #2: Enjoy Summer Safely

While being active is a key part of staying healthy, it’s important to remember to keep your smile in good shape as well. If your family is involved in contact sports, they should always wear a mouthguard while playing. When you’re by the pool, you should enforce important pool safety rules like no running on wet surfaces, no diving into shallow areas, and always be aware of how close you are to the concrete lip of the pool.

Tip #3: Choose Smile-Friendly Summer Foods

With the abundance of sugary snacks like ice cream, soda, and candies, summertime cavities can pose a real problem. Lower your family’s risk of tooth decay by keeping unhealthy foods out of the house or out of sight. Instead, encourage them to eat foods that can boost their oral health! Calcium-rich snacks can strengthen their teeth and jawbone while items rich in vitamin C promote healthy gum tissue.

Tip #4: Stay Hydrated the Right Way

Unfortunately, popular summer beverages like soda, sports drinks, and fruit juices are highly acidic, which wears down the enamel and weakens teeth. Drinking plenty of plain water is the best way for your family to stay hydrated without hurting their smile this summer. Tap water fortified with fluoride is an even better choice since it can rebuild enamel while quenching your thirst!

Tip #5: Take a Trip to See Your Dentist

The beginning of summer is the best time for your family to get their biannual dental checkup. These routine visits can help you catch oral health issues that you may not see or feel yet. That way, you can have them treated before they can cause damage or discomfort while you’re away on vacation. In fact, seeing your dentist twice a year is a great way to keep problems from developing in the first place!

Don’t forget to take care of your oral health while you have fun in the sun! Use these five simple yet effective tips to keep your family’s smiles sunny, healthy, and happy all summer long.

About the Author

For nearly two decades now, Dr. Thaddeus Michalski has been helping his patients keep their smiles beautiful, healthy, and intact. He offers a wide range of services for the entire family to ensure optimal oral health is an attainable goal for smiles of any age! Whether your child needs their first cleaning, your teen needs straighter teeth, your spouse is nervous about dental care, or you need help overcoming TMJ disorder or bruxism, he has a treatment that can help. To learn more about keeping your family’s oral health safe this summer, he encourages you to contact him via his website or at (860) 563-4544.