For most children and teenagers, summer break means three months of sleeping in late, trips to the beach, summer vacations, camps and other activities there just wasn’t time for when school was still in session. But while the break brings with it a relaxed environment, it’s important to keep a regular routine when it comes to oral health.

For nine months out of the year, kids are generally regimented. They brush, floss and rinse with mouthwash before bed, then repeat that routine before they head to school the next morning. Once summer rolls around, though, that routine can easily slip away, leaving negative consequences in its place. When considering a mouthwash, take a look at , Colgate Total Advanced Health Mouthwash, the first oral care product to contain two-layer technology- combining the freshening power we all love with germ killing ingredients. This innovative dual-phase formula mouthwash is proven to remove 24x more bacteria, and you’ll actually see the results in your sink.

Here are a few tips parents can follow to make sure their kids take care of their mouths, teeth, gums and breath this summer:

•  Have a routine, not a schedule. The nine months that make up the school year usually come with a pretty rigid schedule for kids. While a summer schedule isn’t necessary, keeping kids in some type of general routine is helpful. This includes reminding them that even if they are staying home all day, staying up late or sleeping in, they still need to follow through on their daily oral-health routine.
• Stay hydrated. The summer months bring warm temperatures and kids are likely to participate in more outdoor activities. Keeping hydrated is important to staying healthy and maintaining every system and region of the body. This includes the mouth. Drinking water can help prevent dry mouth and the negative effects that come with it such as bad breath, tooth and gum disease, mouth sores, gingivitis and more. Dry mouth can even cause taste buds to shut down, making those summer hot dogs and ice cream bars a little less appetizing.