08 Nov Caring for your kids teeth over Christmas!

Christmas isn’t just about Santa and his presents.  The abundance of food – enjoying lots of indulgent, delicious food, is also a favourite part of this time of year.

Dr Mark Cull of Maven Dental has some top tips to keeping your family’s teeth healthy this festive season.

1. Brush twice a day (or three times to meet the gold star standard) for at least 2 minutes
2. Floss; try a water flosser if you don’t like traditional dental floss
3. Give an electric toothbrush a go; it does the hard work for you and runs for the two minutes – no additional timer needed
4. When it comes to toothpaste, make sure it contains fluoride.  You can’t go wrong with the leading brands or the ones that your dentist recommends
5. Ditch the mouthwash – flossing and brushing are far more effective unless it has been recommended by your dentist
6. If you have a dental emergency over the holidays, the best approach is to contact your dentist to discuss the issue and determine what action is required or call Maven Dental’s emergency / after hours service on 1800 162 836.

Some common dental issues that can occur are:

• If you have a tooth or teeth that are extremely sensitive to hot or cold
• If you have a toothache
• If a tooth is keeping you awake at night
• If there are signs of swelling
• If you have a broken tooth that is ulcerating your tongue or cheek

It’s important to make sure your family doesn’t join the third of adults aged over 15 who have untreated decay and the three quarters of the population who have a tooth filled.

So, remember this Christmas, setting the foundations of a great dental routine is the first step to improving your family’s dental hygiene habits to start the new year.

A great present idea is an electric toothbrush.  They’re more cost effective than ever to purchase and by changing the heads, more than one person can use the same machine – making it a great present that the whole family can use.