As summer rolls in, the days become busier. Between sports practices, beach trips, and barbecue dinners, it can be easy to let things like proper dental care slip. Yet, if you want your kids' teeth to stay healthy all year-round, it's important to follow these summer dental health tips.

Make sure your child always wears a mouth guard when playing contact sports.

In the summer, dentists see their fair share of knocked-out and chipped teeth. To ensure your child does not end up in the emergency dentist's office, require him or her to wear a mouth guard whenever contact sports are played. This includes football, wrestling, and even soccer. Many kids ditch their mouth guards during practice, since coaches only tend to check for them during games. Ensure your child is not one of them, and talk to them about the risks of playing without a mouth guard. Some knock-out teeth can be placed back in the mouth, but often a child whose tooth is knocked out requires an implant.

Encourage your child to drink water, not sports drinks, when physically active.

Whenever your child is playing outside in the summer heat,  it's important for him or her to stay hydrated.  Many parents give their children sports drinks to stave off dehydration in the summer, but in fact, these are terrible for the teeth. Some studies show that these sugary beverages may corrode the teeth even more than sodas. In most cases, giving your child plain water to drink while he or she is playing outside in the heat or playing a sport is perfectly adequate. When your child does drink sports drinks, make sure he or she does so through a straw; this decreases contact between the teeth and the beverage.

Make sure brushing and flossing remain a part of your child's self care routine.

Most kids have a structured routine when they wake during the school year. After getting out of bed, they get dressed and eat breakfast in preparation for the day – and brushing their teeth is a part of this routine. When summer arrives and there is no longer a bus to catch, this morning routine can fall by the wayside. Suddenly, your child rolls out of bed whenever he or she pleases, watches TV until noon, and then heads out the door to play with friends, never once thinking about brushing his or her teeth. Ensure that in spite of the laid back nature of summer, your child maintains a self-care routine upon waking and upon going to bed, and that the routine includes brushing or flossing.

For older kids, setting a reminder on their phones may help them remember to brush on busy summer days. For younger kids, set an alarm in your phone and remind them to brush when it rings.

Summer is a time to relax and have fun. Make sure that the fun does not have a negative impact on your child's oral health by following the tips above and also ensuring you make regular appointments for checkups with Avon Dental Care.