Easter Dental Care Tips for Kids

Because the staff at Danville Family Dentistry cares so much about our patients of all ages, we always take time to remind kids of a few “un-fun” facts. Once we have their undivided attention, we gently offer our list of “Easter no-no’s” for the month of April. We always hope our young patients take us seriously, since no one wants to spend time in a dentist’s chair.
Some of our young Hendricks County patients  will make faces when they see our list of “don’ts”. But we know they are proud of their nice smiles and wish to keep their teeth healthy and white.
So just to make mom and dad happy – and the Easter Bunny, too – we want to remind kids once again about what not to put in your mouth this spring!
For example, you’ll find hard candies, such as those tempting, colorful suckers, on our infamous no-no list. Why are hard candies a no-no? Because they take longer to dissolve in your mouth, which means the sugar in the candy bathes your teeth longer, allowing acids to form. This can cause you to get cavities. Also, we don’t want you chomping and chewing on hard candies because that can hurt the enamel on your teeth.
While Dr. Jon Erickson at Danville Family Dentistry isn’t an orthodontist, we want to remind our young patients with braces to avoid corn on the cob at the holiday table, too. Why? Because biting into hard foods can sometimes break the wires and dislodge the brackets in your mouth. Dislodged brackets can then rub uncomfortably against the soft tissues inside of your mouth, making these areas sore and uncomfortable. So if you happen to enjoy Easter miles away from your orthodontist, that won’t be a fun experience. And you don’t want that, do you?
As a rule, it’s important that all our young patients limit the amount of Easter candy they eat, besides staying completely away from hard candy. Avoid chewy candy, too, like jelly beans. These can stick to your teeth and gums, making the candy difficult to remove with a toothbrush.
We suggest that moms and dads avoid buying Easter treats too far in advance. If you can’t avoid buying the treats, at least store them in a cabinet, so you aren’t tempting your children every time they walk past the candy bowl.
Of course, we also want to remind you not to forget to brush your teeth thoroughly and often.
And, Hendricks County moms and dads, don’t forget to schedule your kids’ biannual dental checkups and cleanings by calling Danville Family Dentistry at (317) 745-4400. Happy Spring!