As cold and flu season approaches, the focus often shifts to acquiring necessary medicines and adopting preventive measures. However, one aspect that might be overlooked during the flu season is the impact on your smile, particularly for growing smiles. Ensuring the health of your child’s smile becomes essential in this context. To guide you and your child through a healthy cold and flu season, continue reading to discover four valuable tips.
Tip #1: Brush Their Teeth
Maintaining good oral hygiene for your child is consistently important, but it becomes even more crucial during cold and flu season. This is due to the challenge children face in remembering to brush their teeth twice a day when they’re sick. Failing to do so allows plaque, bacteria, and food particles to accumulate on their teeth, elevating the risk of tooth decay.
If encouraging them to go to the bathroom to take care of their oral hygiene is a challenge, consider bringing their toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and a glass of water to their bedside. Also, provide an empty bucket or container for them to spit into when they’re done.
Tip #2: Gargle with Salt Water
During illness, the mouth accumulates bacteria and germs. Gargling with salt water can be beneficial. Encourage your child to gargle with a saltwater mixture once a day to eliminate harmful germs and bacteria, especially if they have a sore throat. Mix half a tablespoon of table salt with eight ounces of warm water and instruct them to gargle and spit until the solution is finished.
Tip #3: Drink Plenty of Fluids
From childhood, you’ve probably been advised to stay hydrated when you’re unwell, and this advice extends to benefiting your smile. When your child breathes through their mouth due to a stuffy nose, it can lead to dryness, increasing the risk of oral health issues such as gum disease and cavities. Encouraging your child to drink water helps maintain mouth moisture and aids in washing away bacteria.
Tip #4: Change Their Toothbrush
Toothbrushes used for oral care should be replaced every three to four months, and it’s advisable to do so once you recover from an illness. Failure to replace the toothbrush puts your child at risk of reinfection. If you cannot immediately obtain a new toothbrush, an alternative is to boil their existing one in hot water to eliminate some of the bacteria.
About the Practice
If you reside in the Townson area and have been in search of a dental health team prioritizing your comfort and safety, your quest ends here. Kids Dental Space boasts a proficient team dedicated to applying their expertise in the dental health field to help patients achieve the smiles of their dreams. Additionally, they can provide guidance on maintaining your child’s smile during the cold and flu season. Contact Kids Dental Space at (443) 608-5005 or explore their website for more details or to arrange an appointment.