Can you believe it’s already 2026? And for those of us born right smack in the middle of the 1970s, can you believe we’re turning 50 this year? That’s a big reason to smile, or at least laugh, at how fast the time has gone by! And it’s a great opportunity for us to make a change for the better.
Many of us are working on enacting our New Year’s Resolutions. We are looking forward to improving our lives and the lives of the people we love. In your quest for improvement in 2026, please consider the following minor changes that can have a HUGE impact on the oral health of the children in your life. Sometimes we don’t have to make a big commitment to make a big difference!
•Make Bedtime Brushing Happen Every Night. You can make the commitment to help the children in your life brush their teeth each and every night. I understand that getting kids ready for bed can vary night to night. Sometimes it is a picture-perfect storybook tale of drowsy kids happily drifting off to sleep. At other times, it’s a battle scene with tired toddlers wailing and temper tantrums roaring. But you can make it your personal goal to get all the teeth in the house brushed each and every night. It really works wonders to prevent cavities in those tiny smiles!
•Look Inside Once a Week. It’s a great idea to check out your child’s mouth, in good lighting, at least once a week. Get a good light source like a flashlight, bright sunlight or a bright kitchen light. Lift up the child’s upper lip and check out their front teeth and gums. Use your finger to pull back their cheeks and look at the back teeth. If you see any changes it’s a good idea to have a dentist take a look.
•Make the First Dental Visit by Age One. Take a proactive approach to fighting off cavities in your baby’s mouth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit occur by age one or within six months of the growth of the first baby tooth. This is a great time to identify the risks your child has for cavities and implement strategies to prevent tooth decay before it happens.
•Limit the Juice. It’s really easy to accidentally give kids way too much juice. Juice is loaded with sugars that feed cavity-causing bacteria and can lead to destructive dental disease in very young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no juice at all for kids under six months. For kids age one to six years, the recommendation is to limit juice to four to six ounces a day. This is about the amount in a very small juice box. Fruit juice provides no nutritional benefit over whole fruit, so consider giving the child a piece of fruit instead.
•Be Aware of Hidden Sugars. There are sugars in many children’s vitamins and medicines. If you choose to give your child a gummy vitamin, be aware there may be a lot of sugar within the sticky gummy that can linger in the pits and grooves of your children’s teeth and cause cavities. Many children’s liquid medicines are flavored with sugar to make them easier to take. Your child’s dentist can help you develop a plan to reduce their risk of tooth decay and still stay healthy with the vitamins and medications your child needs.
•Find a dentist you are comfortable with for your children. Many dentists will allow parents to stay with their children during dental treatment. This gives parents the chance to learn about their child’s teeth, ask questions, and understand more about dental treatments. There are many different treatment options, and it can be very helpful for parents to see how their child does during the appointment. Then parents will be able to make a more informed decision regarding future dental treatment.
I hope this list of ideas helps parents, foster parents, grandparents and caregivers. We all want a healthy and happy 2026 for the kids in our lives. Please consider taking a few extra steps this year to help kids have the best chance at excellent oral health!
-by Dr. Mandy Ashley
About Our Dentists: Dr. Mandy Ashley and Dr. Madison Galloway are Board Certified Pediatric Dentists proud to serve the communities of Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Glasgow! We look forward to sharing our vision of excellent comprehensive dental care that is fun for children and people with special healthcare needs with your family.
SKY Pediatric Dentistry has been providing dental care to children and adults with special needs since 2013. As board-certified specialists in dentistry for children, our team strives to make going to the dentist as fun as possible while maintaining high-quality treatment and preventative measures. We tailor treatment plans to each child and offer a wide range of treatment options, including sedation, in-office general anesthesia, and also hospital-based dentistry. With over 25 YEARS of doctor experience, SKY Pediatric Dentistry is a great choice for children’s dental care in Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Glasgow!
