As children become teenagers, parents tend to have less direct control over their health. This includes their oral care.
With a teenager’s crowded schedule and stressful transition, it can be difficult to create time for taking care of their own teeth. This can often result in cavities or other dental issues. To prevent these, simply schedule regular appointments with Paramus Dental Arts clinic in Paramus NJ or a clinic near you.
Learn more about teen dental care below to understand what all parents should know about their children’s oral health!
Concerns About Teen Dental Health
Before we dive into the guidelines for how to ensure your teenager’s dental health is a priority, it’s important to understand the specific concerns relating to a teenager’s teeth.
There are several factors that are at play with a teenager’s dental health. Some of the concerns include contact sports, orthodontics, mouth piercings, sugar-filled diets, and smoking. Teenagers experience higher rates of tooth decay than younger children because of these challenges.
Braces for teens will come with extra care. Having brackets and wires can make proper oral health even more difficult. It will be important for your teen to follow the instructions from their dental professional. Removing plaque and food from inside their braces is important.
Another issue that many teens face is having their wisdom teeth removed. Most people have their wisdom teeth come into their mouth between 15 years old to 25 years old. Having regular check-ins at the dentist will be important as these teeth develop.
Other concerns like smoking and eating disorders can affect a teenager’s health in general, and also impact their oral health. So how can you help your teen keep up with healthy dental habits?
Start with Proper Dental Supplies
While teenagers are more independent now than they were as children, they still probably don’t buy their own toiletries. Having a stock of proper dental supplies is a great place to start with helping their oral hygiene.
If your teenager isn’t aware of how long they’ve been using their toothbrush, it will be important for you to change this for them every few months. Also, they should have a stock of toothpaste and floss in their bathroom.
Consider also purchasing a mouth wash. If your teenager has braces, mouthwash might be able to pick up any food left in their teeth after brushing.
Make Sure Your Teen Is Following Good Hygiene Habits
It’s important to stock up on all the essentials, but that might not be enough for your teenager to actually develop good dental hygiene. Without constantly reminding them, it can be helpful to briefly ask if they brushed and flossed their teeth that day.
This will be important for keeping them on track and teaching them to develop proper oral hygiene. These are also the types of habits you will want them to carry into adulthood.
Limit Sugar and Soda
You can’t always control what your teenager is eating or drinking, especially when they aren’t around you. But limiting the supply of sugar and soda that you keep in your home will be important for their dental health.
One drink that teenagers often consume with a lot of sugar is sports drinks. Ensuring that your teenager isn’t drinking too much sugar will go a long way to avoid cavities. Also, consider that vegetables and other proper nutrition will help their overall health, along with their oral health.
Avoid Oral Piercings
Tongue and lip piercings are particularly trendy with teenagers, but this can cause a host of dental issues. Sometimes a tongue piercing could cause a teenager to chip a tooth or even shift their teeth.
Having a piercing could compromise the natural progression of a teenager’s growing teeth, so avoiding it is likely best. If your teenager does have a piercing, it’s important to remind them to be careful while chewing and to clean out the piercing on a regular basis.
Wear Mouthguards During Sports
If your teenager is involved in a sport, especially a contact sport like football, they stand a chance of suffering an injury to their mouth.
Not only do you want to make sure your teenager is wearing a mouthguard while they play their sport, but also make sure to regularly clean the mouth guard. This type of protection and care will save them injuries down the line and can save you a lot of money on expensive oral surgery.
Go to the Dentist on a Regular Schedule
A teenager’s busy schedule can mean that it’s easy to miss regular check-ins with your dentist. But these visits should be a priority since teen oral health can develop quickly. If your child has a cavity, it’s important to get it taken care of before it develops any further.
Also, watching the progression of their teeth alignment will be important for knowing if your teenager needs braces. By partnering with your teenager to make sure they keep their dental appointments, you’ll be able to ensure their oral health is a priority.
Consult with an Orthodontist
If your dentist lets you know that braces are in your teenager’s future, it’s best to get ahead of it and meet with an orthodontist. This can also inform you if braces are necessary and give you advice about your teenager’s specific needs.
There are lots of options on the market, so it’s important for you to stay informed and ask questions.
Understanding Your Teenager’s Dental Health is Important
Parents want the best for their teenagers, and want to make sure they develop into healthy adults. Teenagers who take care of their mouths will be able to have healthy teeth as they continue to develop into adults.
Understanding teen dental health will help you to partner with your child to help them keep up with good oral hygiene. Setting a positive example and promoting healthy diet and habits will help your teen’s oral health.
Keep reading more from our blog to learn how you can best help your children stay healthy!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
[…] thing parents must teach their children to ensure they have adequate health is to have proper dental hygiene. Brushing your teeth, flossing, and visiting the dentist are crucial for healthy teeth and a […]