Get in the Know with H2O

The benefits of drinking water are truly unmatched. Drinking water provides unlimited healthy benefits, which is why it’s vital to encourage a healthy drinking routine at a young age. Healthy beverage consumption from a young age allows children to build a healthy routine. Unbeknownst to most of us, the liquids we consume directly impact our dietary intake and play a role in our overall health.

We completely understand that specialty sweetened drink here and there are going to happen. What’s life if you can’t have a little fun, right? We highly recommend that those drinks are given during meal times.Water should be given more frequently during busy moments of being on the go, snacks, and before naps and bed. This practice prioritizes water and helps instill good oral hygiene practices.

A good rule of thumb to maintain good overall health as well as good oral health is to minimize the amount of unhealthy beverages drank by children. Reducing the amount of fruit juice, soda, and sports drinks directly reduces the risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, tooth decay, and obesity.

Are you looking for ways to encourage your kiddo to drink more water? We recommend:

• Add a piece of fruit to the water like a strawberry, blueberries, cucumbers or cherries for some natural flavoring and flair
• Have your child pick out a fun/cool water bottle that they enjoy looking at daily
• Introduce a chart with stickers to track water intake throughout the week – if the goal is met – reward with a healthy snack of their choice

Choosing water or sweetened beverages won’t always be easy. In fact, it’ll be challenging unless it is a learned behavior at a young age. Starting healthy routines such as drinking water daily is the best and most efficient way to set your kiddo up for success. There’s always the age old adage of Monkey See Monkey Do, meaning that your child looks to you and what beverages you are taking in as you are their role model. Schedule a consultation with your pediatrician today at Foothills Pediatric Dentistry in our Longmont, Lafayette, or Thornton CO locations to see how your children’s teeth have been affected by their diet and get tips and tricks for a healthy and fresh start!