The Australian Dental Association (ADA) is reminding busy parents to make their appointments this week so childrens’ oral health is sorted during the school holidays.
“There are a whole load of jobs that people have to do before school resumes; you don’t want to miss out on a dentist visit as most get booked up quite a bit in advance,” ADA Oral Health Promoter Dr Mikaela Chinotti said.
The school holidays are also a time when the good habits of the rest of the year can fall by the wayside.
“Just because your kids don’t have school sport, doesn’t mean they should head outside to play without their trusty mouthguard,” Dr Chinotti said.
“They may be climbing trees, playing touch in the park with their mates or having an informal game of cricket with the family on Christmas Day.
“Whatever the occasion, make sure the mouthguards get washed and left somewhere handy so the children can find them with ease.
“The best mouthguards are those obtained from your dentist as they can be customised to fit the size and shape of your child’s mouth.”
Another seasonal issue is sugar consumption.
Did you know: There are typically 26 teaspoons of sugar in an average one-litre cola bottle; young men aged 12 to 24 are the highest consumers of sugar in the country; one in six teenagers consumes over 5kg of sugar a year from sugary drinks alone – this is about the same weight as the standard pet cat; many fruit juices contain as many kilojoules (calories) and sugars as fizzy drinks; some flavoured yoghurts, muesli bars and cereals contain as much or more sugar than a single Tim Tam.
“Water is best as it keeps your body hydrated, is sugarless and has no calories, so it’s better for teeth and waistline,” Dr Chinotti said.
“To minimise the damage some alcoholic drinks do to teeth, we advise people to drink plain water between your glass of wine, beer or mixer, to rinse the mouth and stay hydrated. The drier your mouth, the more damage sugars and acids from alcohol can do.”
For emergencies over the festive break, visit adansw.com.au/practicesopenoverchristmasandnewyear.
