August is a time for fun and final days of summer. As you end your summer and look forward to fall, Dr. Linda J. Golden’s Dental Wellness staff would like to offer some advice on maintaining a healthy routine for the caring of your teeth and gums. First you must develop and stick with a routine for yourself and your family. When speaking about a dental routine for your family, you must be aware that for children if you make it too difficult or consuming, you will risk turning them off to dental hygiene.
It is good to start your day off with warm water and lemon in the morning, not only as a refreshing way to hydrate, but also because warm water and lemon help to balance the pH of your body. When choosing your breakfast, if you must choose a sugary item, choose natural sugar foods, like fruit verses processed sugary cereals and muffins. If you are using a sugar supplement in your coffee, such as xylitol, be sure to use no more than five grams initially to be sure it is tolerated by your digestive system. Immediately after breakfast, brush your teeth. If possible, you should make a time in the middle of the day for brushing your teeth as well. For a child, perhaps the best time would be upon arriving home from school. At bedtime, brushing your teeth is imperative to maintaining healthy teeth and gums. In addition to brushing, the use of a water pik is an excellent way to further reduce plaque that can cause tooth decay as well as penetrate hard-to-reach areas.
Remember when it comes to children, you should never overburden them as they can “turn off” on dental hygiene entirely. As always, bi-yearly checkups are recommended, and before the school year begins is a great time to schedule your dental checkup.
Golden Dental Wellness Center is located at 444 Community Dr., Ste. 204, Manhasset. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 516-627-8400 or visit GoldenSmile.com.
