Five simple things you can do for your child to help keep their smiles healthy and bright."
Trident® has partnered with Smiles Across America® to help underprivileged children get the dental care they need.
It’s no surprise that education can play a large role in preventing cavities. Nine in 10 (92%) parents believe cavities in children are preventable, yet a majority of parents (86%) struggle to get a child to take care of their teeth[3]. So how can parents get involved and convince their children to take proper care of his or her teeth? It is no easy task, but there are simple tips and reminders to keep in mind. For instance, clinical studies have shown that chewing sugar free gum, like Trident®, after meals helps fight cavities[4].
1. Eat healthy, well balanced meals
Did you ever think about the role that nutrition plays in the health of your teeth and gums? This is true for you and your child. On the good side, it's important that children have enough calcium in their diets for strong bones and teeth. Excellent sources of calcium are dairy products, such as milk and yogurt. On the negative side, be careful about any sweet, sticky foods you eat. These can get sugar in-between your teeth and be harmful to those beautiful smiles!
2. Chew sugar-free gum after meals
I did not know until I read the background material for this post, that chewing Trident sugar free gum for 20 minutes after a meal can help fight cavities! The Xylitol, a sugar free sweetner in Trident, has been shown to loosen plaque. Maya loves to chew gum, although it took awhile to teach her not to swallow it when she laughed! Now, I can know that not only is it a treat for her, it's also good for her teeth. Sweet! Well, sugar-free sweet!
3. Set a good example by brushing at least twice a day and brush long enough
You know your child copies and mimics what you do. Every child wants to be like mommy or daddy. Let them know that you think brushing your teeth is an important habit. Talk about the importance of the health of your teeth and gums.
Try to make brushing fun - you can sing a silly song while your kids brush. Not too funny though, or you will have toothpaste everywhere, hehehe.
We found a tooth brush that lights up and stays on for two minutes. Sometimes a fun little thing like that can make all the difference.
Use a simple kitchen timer and set it for two minutes. It's amazing what kids will do when there's a time involved!
You can also take turns brushing each other's teeth!
4. Find a good pediatric dentist and visit regularly
Our local pediatric dentist is excellent! His office is set up specifically for children with child size chairs, fun decorations, and a prize drawer. I wish my doctor had a prize drawer.
Before I took Maya for the first time to her dentist, I took her to MY dentist. He was very nice and let her sit on my tummy and watch. I think it made a big difference when it was time to have her teeth cleaned for the first time. She knew everything that was going to happen and she knew Mommy liked it!
Maya's dental hygienist is not only very gentle but she's good at explaining every little step so Maya won't be afraid. Much of the fear associated with visiting the dentist, for children and adults, is the fear of the unknown.
I also try to talk Maya into being a good example for the other, smaller children. She loves being considered the "big kid" and the "brave kid".
5. Protect your child's teeth during sports
Prevention is the best thing when it comes to damaged teeth! There are many different styles and types of mouth guards. If your child plays sports, look into the best and most comfortable. It doesn't matter what kind of mouth guard you have, if your child won't wear it, so it needs to be comfortable.
For more information: 1. Eat healthy, well balanced meals
Did you ever think about the role that nutrition plays in the health of your teeth and gums? This is true for you and your child. On the good side, it's important that children have enough calcium in their diets for strong bones and teeth. Excellent sources of calcium are dairy products, such as milk and yogurt. On the negative side, be careful about any sweet, sticky foods you eat. These can get sugar in-between your teeth and be harmful to those beautiful smiles!
2. Chew sugar-free gum after meals
I did not know until I read the background material for this post, that chewing Trident sugar free gum for 20 minutes after a meal can help fight cavities! The Xylitol, a sugar free sweetner in Trident, has been shown to loosen plaque. Maya loves to chew gum, although it took awhile to teach her not to swallow it when she laughed! Now, I can know that not only is it a treat for her, it's also good for her teeth. Sweet! Well, sugar-free sweet!
3. Set a good example by brushing at least twice a day and brush long enough
You know your child copies and mimics what you do. Every child wants to be like mommy or daddy. Let them know that you think brushing your teeth is an important habit. Talk about the importance of the health of your teeth and gums.
Try to make brushing fun - you can sing a silly song while your kids brush. Not too funny though, or you will have toothpaste everywhere, hehehe.
We found a tooth brush that lights up and stays on for two minutes. Sometimes a fun little thing like that can make all the difference.
Use a simple kitchen timer and set it for two minutes. It's amazing what kids will do when there's a time involved!
You can also take turns brushing each other's teeth!
4. Find a good pediatric dentist and visit regularly
Our local pediatric dentist is excellent! His office is set up specifically for children with child size chairs, fun decorations, and a prize drawer. I wish my doctor had a prize drawer.
Before I took Maya for the first time to her dentist, I took her to MY dentist. He was very nice and let her sit on my tummy and watch. I think it made a big difference when it was time to have her teeth cleaned for the first time. She knew everything that was going to happen and she knew Mommy liked it!
Maya's dental hygienist is not only very gentle but she's good at explaining every little step so Maya won't be afraid. Much of the fear associated with visiting the dentist, for children and adults, is the fear of the unknown.
I also try to talk Maya into being a good example for the other, smaller children. She loves being considered the "big kid" and the "brave kid".
5. Protect your child's teeth during sports
Prevention is the best thing when it comes to damaged teeth! There are many different styles and types of mouth guards. If your child plays sports, look into the best and most comfortable. It doesn't matter what kind of mouth guard you have, if your child won't wear it, so it needs to be comfortable.
Get some Trident Gum Coupons!
Don't miss the fun, September 14th, a Trident Twitter Party! Tweet with hashtag #Trident SAA
Don't miss the fun, September 14th, a Trident Twitter Party! Tweet with hashtag #Trident SAA
Trident gum has long been a pioneer in providing oral health benefits to consumers. Trident was the first gum brand of its kind to undergo testing in 1967 with studies showing that people who chewed Trident experienced significantly fewer cavities. Trident is available in 11 great-tasting flavors: Original Flavor, Bubble Gum, Spearmint, Tropical Twist, Watermelon Twist, Wild Blueberry Twist, Minty Sweet Twist, Passionberry Twist, Wintergreen, Strawberry Twist and Cinnamon. All flavors can be purchased in 18-piece packs and 54-piece multi-packs (three 18-piece packages).
About Smiles Across America® (SAA)
SAA is a signature program created by Oral Health America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education and advocacy around oral health. SAA improves the health of elementary school students by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings, and demonstrating to communities that healthy mouths are integral to overall health. For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthamerica.org.
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