3 Budget-Friendly Ways to Take Better Care of Your Child's Teeth

 Our kids' baby teeth may not seem as important as their permanent teeth (especially because they eventually fall out), but your child's baby teeth actually play a bigger role in their health than you think. Kids who develop cavities in their baby teeth are more likely to develop them in their grown-up teeth, and considering 47.2% of adults aged 30 years and older have some form of periodontal disease, it's essential to make sure your kids are making the most of their dental hygiene.

But how can you take better care of your child's teeth without spending an arm and a leg on dental care? Here, we'll dive into three easy ways you can take better care of your child's chompers while on a small budget.

Get tooth-friendly foods that are in-season

With summer right around the corner, now is one of the best times to shop for in-season fruits and veggies. Watermelon, oranges, and cucumber are just three awesome options that not only make great snacks but are also great for your child's teeth because they're high in water content. Apples also make for a great snack option because they gently scrub the sides and surface of your child's teeth as they chew.

Another ideal snack is celery and peanut butter (if your child doesn't have an allergy). Peanut butter is rich in magnesium, which can help to strengthen your child's tooth enamel and reduce their risk of cavities. Celery, like apples, also helps to scrub away at the sides of your child's teeth while they munch and crunch, keeping plaque and bacteria at bay.

Be wary of trendy products

When it comes to our health, we all want to find new (and cheaper) ways to stay in great shape and take care of our teeth. But sometimes trends in the health and wellness industry are just that: trends. Up to 87% of people say there are more ads for new products than there were two years ago, but according to the McKinsey Global Institute, between 25% and 45% of those new products fail.

Sometimes new products just don't hit it off while others don't actually perform like we expect them to. For instance, charcoal toothpaste was a major trend between 2019 and 2020. But, according to dentists, charcoal toothpaste isn't any more effective for fighting cavities or stains. In this case, it's both more affordable and better to stick with your child's standard $2 toothpaste.

Brush your teeth with your kids

Kids like to imitate their parents, which means one of the cheapest and easiest ways you can boost your child's dental health is by simply brushing your teeth with them. This not only gives you a chance to make a good impression on your child's dental hygiene habits but it also lets you monitor your child's teeth brushing without outright watching them brush. 

What's more, because your child is brushing along with you, they can start to get a sense of how long they ought to be brushing their teeth. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth for at least two minutes each time.

Your child's dental health is important, especially because their baby teeth are like the training wheels for their permanent teeth. The better your kids take care of their baby teeth, the better chances their permanent teeth will stay cavity-free.