If you’re like most parents, there are a thousand things that you must get done during the holidays. This is often above regular responsibilities. As a result, the last thing you’ll want to deal with is your kids developing cavities. During the holiday season, there’s a greater chance of that happening simply because it’s the time of year when everyone bakes goodies and enjoys sweets with reckless abandon. Even with this being the case, there are simple things you can do to prevent cavities during the most enjoyed time a year. Check out the helpful tips below.

Limit Sweet Treats

Sugar cookies, pies, cakes, juices and every other sweet treat that your children enjoy are likely to be around in abundance during the holiday season. There’s no way past the fact that sweets are hard on teeth and can cause many problems that you don’t want to have. During the holiday season, sweets are everywhere. To prevent cavities, restlessness at night and even digestive issues, it’s best to limit the amount of sweets your children are allowed to eat. It can be as simple as only allowing two cookies instead of three.

Another example is not allowing your kids to eat hard candy. If you could only limit one sweet treat, hard candy is the one to choose. Why? Because it can pull fillings out and even cause your teeth to crack. In fact, hard candy should be avoided by both kids and adults.

Travel with Extra Toothbrushes

If your kids already have good dental hygiene habits, they should keep them during the holiday season. If you’re traveling, you’ll want to avoid minor issues like someone forgetting to bring their toothbrush on the trip. By traveling with extra toothbrushes, you can make sure there is no excuse for your kids not brushing their teeth twice a day. Kids skipping just one day without brushing their teeth is a problem, especially when they’ve eaten a lot of sugary foods. You might as well bring extra floss too.

Visit a Pediatric Dentist Near You

Before the holiday season even starts, you should schedule appointments with Kidzania Pediatric Dentistry in Aubrey and Little Elm TX. It’s a great way to start the season off with a healthy looking smile. Our pediatric dental professionals can address any problems that exist and make sure there are no cavities forming. Sometimes children have a hard time really getting to the problem areas where it’s common for particles to hide. This can result in tooth decay. Another reason to go is to use any dental insurance benefits that will be lost by the end of the year.

Promote Water Over Sugary Beverages

Just because sugary beverages are available doesn’t mean kids need to drink them. There’s always lots of juices and hot chocolate available during the holiday season. While it might be tempting to drink these beverages throughout the day, it’s best if you encourage your child to choose water instead. Although they may not like it at first, it will become a habit to reach for water instead of a beverage with lots of sugar.

Let’s face it, most people like the holiday season because of the food. You certainly cannot completely deny your children the joys of the holidays. A great way to strike a balance is by having a cutoff period. For instance, you can require your kiddos to stop eating sweets after 6PM or whatever time you think is best for your family. This alone can minimize any damage that might occur during the holidays.