Post Halloween, getting your kids to brush their teeth is more important than ever. The holidays are full of sweet treats, pies, and sugar for your family. While we certainly can tell that we’re eating too much when we have to loosen our belts, your teeth may already be facing some serious decay. It’s important to stress the importance of proper dental maintenance, especially to kids, during the holidays.

Here are some ideas on how to make sure your child’s teeth are protected during the holidays.

Drink Water

Drinking water during meals isn’t just important for your digestive system – it can help clean teeth too! Make sure your kiddo has a cup of water that they have to finish before they leave the dinner table. It’s best to go straw-less if they can manage it.

Find Some Fun Dental Games

Talking about “how good brushing your teeth is for you” isn’t probably very high on your child’s list of fun things to do. Invest in a dental board game (yes, they exist!) or a cool app they can play from a tablet that let’s them explore the world of dentistry on their own.

Let Them do the Brushing

Knowing the right ways to create independence with your child is a challenge. You want to make sure they have the autonomy to brush on their own, but also help them to make sure that they’re getting those hard to reach spots. Remember, until your child has enough dexterity to tie his or her own shoes, they probably need help brushing still. Our recommendation? Stickers. The more they brush on their own, the more incentive they have to earn that giant Batman sticker.

Don’t Let Them Sleep with Juice

One of the most dangerous habits is letting your child sleep with juice in their sippy cup. Fall and winter brings on all sorts of flavors like apple and cranberry that your child may be looking forward too. However, this can cause some very QUICK tooth decay. Leave the juice for the daytime and give them only water at night.