The outdoor swimming pool is a hallmark of Minnesota summers, and can be a great way for kids to burn off some energy and beat the heat. If your kids are spending a lot of time at an at-home pool (whether your own or a friend’s) this summer, be sure to protect their teeth with these tips:

More parents report that getting their kids to floss or brush their teeth is more challenging than getting their kids to make the bed or to complete their homework on time. This, according to a recent national survey conducted by Delta Dental. The Children’s Oral Health Survey indicates that many children are not following recommended guidelines of brushing their teeth for two minutes twice daily and flossing once a day, potentially leading to oral health problems. 78 percent of the parents surveyed confess that their child’s oral health is not as good as it could be, with 64 percent disclosing that their child currently has oral health issues, including cavities (31 percent).

It can seem like parenting is one long, constantly changing lesson. Among all the other things parents are coping with and figuring out, their child’s dental health can sometimes fall to the wayside. Below, we try to provide a little help and answer some of the most commonly asked questions about children’s dental health.

If you know what to expect, going to the dentist can be fun! Watch our video with Dental Hygienist Leah helps to teach children about the kinds of things they can expect to see when the visit the dentist.

Losing your teeth is a rite of passage for every child – but the thought of pulling out pieces of our mouths can be a scary one for a to think about. What can help the shock is understanding why it is happening.

Our mouths are breeding grounds for hundreds of types of bacteria. Plaque that forms on our teeth and in our mouths contain this bacteria which also live on our gums, tongue, and other soft tissues. When we eat food, the bacteria that is in our mouth eat the food too – specifically, sugar – and produce acid. This acid begins to break down the tooth surface, and will eventually cause a hole in the tooth, referred to as dental caries, or dental decay.

What do hockey pucks and hard candy have in common? They’re both culprits when it comes to chipping teeth. If you lose a chunk of an incisor, don’t feel bad. Dentists see chipped teeth all the time—especially during hockey season!—and they can often fix you up quickly.

Did you know that your teeth are as unique as your fingerprints? Not only can your teeth be used to identify you as an individual, but the characteristics of your teeth can tell a lot about you to anyone trained to see.

Oral health professionals often suggest that you replace your toothbrush every three months or whenever you notice the bristles fraying – whichever is sooner – to keep your mouth healthy. There’s no better time to freshen up your toothbrush than at the new year! But what toothbrush is best for you?