Teen Dental Care: Oral Health Tips for Adolescents

The teen years bring new challenges for oral health: busy schedules, more independence, sugary drinks, braces, sports and wisdom teeth. Here is how to keep your teen's smile healthy.

Keep daily habits consistent

Teens should brush twice a day for two minutes and floss daily. With braces, cleaning takes more time. Special brushes and floss threaders help reach around brackets and wires.

Watch what they drink

Soda, energy drinks and sports drinks are sugary and acidic, and they can wear down enamel. Encourage water as the everyday drink. If your teen has a sugary or acidic drink, drinking it with a meal and rinsing with water afterward reduces the impact.

Protect teeth during sports

A mouthguard is one of the best ways to prevent chipped, broken or knocked-out teeth during contact and many other sports. We can recommend or create a guard that fits comfortably, including over braces.

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth usually appear between the late teens and early twenties. We monitor their development with X-rays and let you know if removal is recommended, for example when they are impacted, crowding other teeth or causing pain.

Tobacco, vaping and piercings

Tobacco and vaping products can harm gums and overall health, and oral piercings can chip teeth and lead to infection. Talk openly with your teen about these risks. Our team is happy to help.

Book your teen's next checkup. Call our Westwood office at 310-388-3859.