Are You Ready For A Parent's Night Out? Make Sure Your Babysitter Knows How To Protect Your Child's Oral Health

You and your partner have made your reservations for the perfect couple's night, and you finally found a responsible babysitter. Now that all of the details are in place, you are ready to create a brief list of things to cover about your child's evening routine. As you get ready to discuss house rules and bedtimes, make sure to add these oral health care strategies to your talk with the babysitter so that you can relax once you head out.

Discuss The Oral Hygiene Routine

Children tend to look up to their babysitters, and your sitter can help reinforce the importance of oral hygiene by sticking to the current routine. Show them where to locate the tooth brushing supplies, and let them know if your child needs assistance with brushing and flossing. This is also a great time to show them a few tips such as how your child likes to set a timer to know when they are done.

Suggest Non-Food Treats

Babysitters sometimes come prepared with activities and snacks to help keep the children happy and busy while you are away. Make sure to let the babysitter know your preferences regarding sweet treats, and consider leaving a few tooth-friendly options available in the refrigerator in case your sitter or child gets hungry. For instance, a vegetable tray with dip is great for a movie snack. Alternatively, you could offer your child a small toy surprise the next morning if you get a good report from the babysitter.

Cover How to Handle Dental Emergencies

Ideally, your babysitter should be knowledgeable of basic first aid practices for handling emergencies such as choking. However, you may want to brush up on how to handle dental emergencies such as a mouth but or chipped tooth. Let them know to use a cold compress on the outside of your child's cheek or lips to minimize pain and swelling after a blow to the mouth, and they can encourage your child to rinse their mouth with warm salt water if they experience any bleeding. Finally, let your babysitter know how to preserve a knocked out tooth in milk to increase the possibility of preserving it to take to your kid's dentist, someone from a place like Alaska Dentistry For Kids.

Once you've covered your child's oral hygiene routine and what to do in an emergency, make it easy for the sitter by leaving written instructions. This way, you can head out for the evening with full confidence that your child's teeth will be gleaming white when they give you that beautiful smile in the morning.