You monitor phone use, screen their friends, and check their grades daily — but are you watching for the bad habits that harm your child’s teeth? Sometimes, it’s the smallest, easiest-to-overlook habits that have the biggest impact on their oral health.
In this blog, our expert pediatric dentists at Lifetime Dental Care in Woodbridge, Virginia, highlight the bad habits that we see cause the most damage and help you help your kids to make adjustments.
Cavities are inevitable if your child skips their regular appointments with their toothbrush.
You can help your child make oral hygiene a regular part of their routine by making it fun and giving them some control. Let them pick out their brush and paste, turn on some music, or start a friendly competition within the family.
You might be able to get your child to brush regularly, and that’s a huge positive step forward. However, we strongly urge you to make sure they’re also flossing. Brushing alone is not enough to keep cavities at bay — only floss can reach the nooks and crannies in their mouth and remove threats to their oral health.
Sugar is the sworn enemy of your teeth. It creates the perfect conditions for cavity-causing bacteria to develop and eat away at your child’s teeth. You can make your child’s mouth less hospitable to harmful bacteria by cutting back on how much sugar they eat and drink (or at least making them brush right after consuming sugar).
If your child doesn't wear a mouthguard during high-contact activities like basketball, football, and soccer, dental trauma is a matter of when, not if. We strongly recommend fitting your child for a mouthguard if they’re active in sports.
We can throw retainers in this category, as well. If we prescribe a retainer, make sure your child wears it correctly and for the recommended amount of time. Failing to do so can derail the progress the retainer was meant to protect.
Ripping open their favorite snack or breaking open a package with their bicuspids is never a good idea. Without even realizing it, your child is causing significant damage to their teeth and opening the door for a wide range of oral health problems.
The same goes for nail biting. Constantly ripping at your nails gradually weakens and damages the teeth.
Sucking on fingers and thumbs can be incredibly soothing for children, but it’s a horrible habit for long-term oral health. Over time, the pressure from their fingers can shift their teeth and cause alignment, bite, and even speech problems.
Even if your child is a diligent brusher and flosser, wears their mouthguard and retainer, never consumes too much sugar, doesn’t suck their thumb, and always uses scissors to open packages, their oral health is still under attack.
That's why we recommend bringing your child in for regular checkups and cleanings. Only our pediatric dentistry experts can spot and proactively address the early warning signs of a serious problem.
We also use those appointments to evaluate your child’s bite development, answer your questions, apply dental sealants, administer fluoride treatments, fit your child for a new mouthguard if necessary, and walk you through best practices for breaking bad habits.
You’re not alone in your fight to protect your child’s oral health. Let our team of pediatric dentists become a part of your village and work with you to keep their teeth and gums healthy for the long haul.
Call our office at 703-499-9779 today, or use our online booking tool to schedule an appointment for your child.