tips for adjusting to dentures

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, you and the rest of your family might still be working from home or going to school from home. Because so many kids have spent so much more time around the house, their daily habits may have changed, and that could include possible changes to how they approach their oral health or their daily eating habits. If you want to make sure your child makes it to the other side of the pandemic without hurting their dental health, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Stick to Water Throughout the School Day

When your child was actually going to school, they likely didn't have access to soda, iced tea, and whatever else you have in your fridge. Most schoolchildren eat once per day during lunchtime and otherwise are not eating and drinking things throughout the school day.

Things are different right now, though, because your child absolutely can raid the fridge for whatever they want before they sit down in their room in front of the computer to video conference with the rest of the class. If your child is sipping on soda all day long during every class, the additional sugar or acid from certain other drinks is not going to be doing their teeth any favors. Buy some bottled water and tell your child to leave the soda or other sweet drinks or treats in the kitchen until after school.

Make Sure They Keep Up with Their Oral Care Routine

When you spend all day, every day inside the house, you can lose your sense of time and maybe stop keeping up with the daily habits you had before the pandemic started. This is true for children as well. If your child always brushed their teeth in the morning, make sure they still do this before they go to sit down in front of the computer. They might not have to worry about their bad breath affecting anyone but you, but they should still brush after every meal. In fact, if you're smart about it, you could even get your kid to brush more often than they would during a school day because they'll have access to the bathroom and their brush after lunchtime, which is not something they could typically do while at school.

Stay in Touch with Your Family Dentist

When the pandemic first started, some dentist offices shut down to protect themselves. But today, a vaccine is available and many health care professionals including those in the dental field are vaccinated or at least have some sort of plan to return to business as usual. If you feel it's safe to do so, go ahead and schedule your next appointment for your child. If you're unsure of your family dentist's availability, check their website or call their clinic.