At Atlanta Pediatric Dental Associates, we see many of our patients through their teenage years. Typically, when you graduate from high school, you also graduate from our practice. As children hit adolescence and begin to care for their own teeth, Dr. Krieger review the following tips for a healthy teenage smile.
More often than ever, teenagers are reaching for soft drinks to quench their thirst, but the acids and sugars they contain are eating away at their delicate tooth enamel. It’s unlikely that teens will completely stop drinking sodas, so Dr. Krieger recommend that they try to reduce the amount they drink, and rinse their mouths with water after drinking sodas, and brush and floss often.
Piercing the tongue and mouth has been popular among teens for years, despite the scary stories of problems from their piercings. These piercings can cause teens to chip their teeth while eating, talking, and sleeping.
It seems like teens today are living on fast food and nutrition bars. Busy teens may have a lot to do, but they also have a lot to lose by not eating a well-balanced diet. In addition to harming their overall health, the habits can hurt their dental health. But rather than let bad foods eat away at their teeth, teens need to develop the following good habits:
Eat healthy snacks, like veggies, fruits, and low-fat cheese.
Keep a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste in a backpack, locker, or handbag so it’s always convenient to brush.
Chew sugarless gum after eating to help clean the mouth.
Drink water all day to rinse away food debris and bacteria.
Contact sports are popular with teenagers, but they may not be aware that such sports can cause injuries to the teeth, mouth, and jaw. Athletic teens can protect their smiles by getting a mouth guard to wear during sports.
Most teenagers want beautiful, whiter smiles. While some bleaching products can enhance a teenage smile, always speak to Dr. Kriger before your teen starts to whiten their teeth. Sometimes, whitening products can be detrimental to teen teeth and cause the teeth to be extremely sensitive to hot and cold things.
