Defeat Monster Mouth

Each year, the American Dental Association (ADA.org) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health month in February as a way to raise awareness of the importance of oral healthcare for children. Tooth decay is the number one most common chronic childhood disease. It is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Each year, over 52 million school hours are missed due to this all to common and preventable disease.This year, the ADA’s slogan “Defeat Monster Mouth” encourages teachers, parents, and health care providers to talk to your kids about brushing and flossing regularly, eating healthy, low-sugar foods, drinking plenty of water, and keeping up with their dental exams.

At Treetop, Dr. Brandon and the team visit local elementary schools, daycare centers, and preschools are part of their efforts to raise month-long awareness and improve the oral health habits of the children in the New Braunfels area. Learn more about Dr. Brandon’s Happy Teeth Academy here.

Here are 5 helpful tips from Dr. Brandon for keeping up oral health habits and defeating monster mouth for good!

1. Develop a brushing routine. Whether your children are rushing off to school or getting ready to hit the sack, brushing will be engrained into habit if it’s part of their morning and evening routines. Brushing right before breakfast or just before storytime can all be part of their brushing routine.
2. Skip the juice. Not only is this sugary beverage linked to childhood obesity and higher risk for cavities, new research shows it may also be linked to high blood pressure.
3. Go to your six-month check-up. In addition to checking your child’s mouth for any issues and thoroughly cleaning his teeth, Dr. Brandon may administer a super-simple, yet super-powerful fluoride treatment. Fluoride treatments help prevent cavities by up to 80 percent!
4. Keep the floss in view. This will help ensure it’s not forgotten. Options like flavored floss, wax-textured floss, and floss holders may also keep the habit approachable and fun.
5. Drink it from the tap. Tap water is a free and readily available alternative to juices throughout the day. In addition, most municipal water sources contain fluoride, which helps strengthen tooth structure and inhibit acid production by bacteria when sipped on throughout the day.

We hope these tips help you and your children learn how they can help keep the mouth monster at bay!