Children’s Oral Health: Keep them Smiling all Summer Long
By Celia Burns on 6th August 2025
The school holidays are a perfect time for play, rest, and maybe a few extra treats! While routines might be a little looser, keeping kids’ teeth clean and healthy is important… But it doesn’t have to be a chore! Here are a few of our top tips to keep your little one’s teeth strong and healthy all holiday long.
🍭 Save sweet treats for mealtimes
If your child is having something sugary, try to offer it at mealtimes rather than as a snack. This reduces how often teeth are exposed to sugar throughout the day, reducing the risk of decay.
🍓 Sugar is sugar, no matter where it is!
Teeth can’t tell the difference between “natural” and “added” sugars. That means that fruit juices, smoothies, and dried fruits can be just as damaging to teeth as a packet of sweets! Of course, fruits are packed full of lots of important nutrients — so just be mindful of the amount and timing, and offer them with meals when possible.
🧐 Watch out for hidden sugar
Sugar can show up where you least expect it — even in breakfast cereals, yoghurts, and children’s medicines. Check labels when you can, and aim for low-sugar options.
🪥 Healthy brushing habits
We all know it is important to brush twice a day, but getting a wriggling child to comply with this can be difficult! The most important time to brush your child’s teeth is at nighttime, because it removes the day’s build-up of food, plaque, and bacteria, and is especially important because saliva production (which protects the teeth) slows down at night.
👩⚕️ Come to see us!
All our children’s healthy mouth assessments include a full examination, personalised oral health and diet advice, and fluoride application for strong, protected teeth. If it’s been a while since your child came for a check up, we would love to see them – just give us a call to book! Our dentists currently have good availability throughout the summer holidays.
🚿 Don’t rinse
It might feel natural, but rinsing after brushing actually washes away the fluoride left by toothpaste — the very stuff that protects your child’s teeth. Rinsing after brushing is like washing off suncream right after applying it!
🍼 Baby teeth matter too
Some people think that because baby teeth fall out, they’re not as important — but decay in baby teeth can lead to pain, infection, and problems with eating, speech, and adult tooth development. Make sure to:
- Breast feed for as long as possible, if that it what you have chosen to do
- Drink from a free flow cup from 6 months upwards
- From 1 year old, stop bottle feeding completely
- Never dip a dummy in honey or sugary liquid and don’t add sugar weaning foods
- Brush teeth twice a day as soon as teeth appear in the mouth, with a children’s fluoride toothpaste
Follow these tips and your child will have the best chance of keeping their teeth filling-free through childhood and beyond!
