{"id":1236,"date":"2010-08-26T16:12:59","date_gmt":"2010-08-26T21:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parentingzoo.com\/members\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2010-08-26T16:23:07","modified_gmt":"2010-08-26T21:23:07","slug":"5-simple-ways-to-prevent-tooth-decay-in-your-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parentingzoo.com\/members\/?p=1236","title":{"rendered":"5 Simple Ways to Prevent Tooth Decay in your kids!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Tooth-Care\"<\/a><\/dt>\n
Image by Lutz-R. Frank<\/a> via Flickr<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Teeth!\u00a0 We love them!\u00a0 We need them!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, due to the typical American diet and bad habits, too many kids wind up sitting in the dentist’s chair for a bit too long of their young life.\u00a0 Here are 5 simple tips for helping to keep cavities, tooth decay, and additional dentist visits at bay.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Brush.\u00a0 This is pretty much a no brainer but also not as easy as it sounds.\u00a0 Little ones typically don’t like to brush their teeth so it’s up to you, mom and dad, to help instill the habit early so they’ll continue to do it even when you’re not hovering over them.\u00a0 Your kids should be brushing at least two times a day – after every meal if possible but at least in the morning and before bed.\u00a0 Brush your teeth with your kids to help encourage them to do it too!<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Floss.\u00a0 Even harder especially for little hands, flossing is just as important as brushing but tends to get a pass by most adults as well as kids.\u00a0 When your toddlers are young, help them to floss by doing it for them.\u00a0 You can get floss pics at any drug store or grocery store to make it even easier (look for the ones that look like a wish bone with the floss running across – they work great.\u00a0 Let your kids try to do it themselves occasionally too but the important thing is to get them into the daily habit.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Limit sweets. Yeah yeah, I know you’re thinking this was supposed to be simple.\u00a0 And I also know that none of this is NEW news to anyone.\u00a0 They key here is to not let the sugar sit on your child’s teeth so if they do indulge, have them brush right after or chew on some sugar free gum like Trident.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Mouth rinses.\u00a0 When your kids are old enough to swoosh and spit, you can introduce mouth rinses to them to help with plaque and tarter build-up.\u00a0 Just make sure they’re not swallowing the rinse at all.\u00a0 Xylitol rinses are great because they loosen plaque and Trident gum contains xylitol too which is another good reason for using that as an option.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Drink water. Now there is an easy one!\u00a0 Encourage your kids to drink water, especially after meals where they know there isn’t a toothbrush handy to clean those teeth off.\u00a0 Again, keeping the food away from staying on the teeth is the goal so water can help to do that, at least until you can get to the sink to do a more thorough job.<\/p>\n

Obviously beyond that you’ll want to make your regular appointments with your dentist to keep track of the progress of your child’s teeth but those appointments should be just standard and easy if you follow the steps above!<\/p>\n

Happy smiling!<\/p>\n

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information:<\/strong><\/div>\n
Visit Trident on Facebook and click our \u2018Chew 4 Smiles\u2019 tab<\/a><\/div>\n
Visit the website<\/a><\/div>\n
Check out the latest Trident commercials on YouTube<\/a><\/div>\n
Get some Trident Gum Coupons!<\/a><\/div>\n

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