Back-to-School With Healthy Smiles
While a visit to the dentist may not seem as important as a back to school physical examination from your medical doctor, you child’s oral health is just as important and crucial to their overall health.
We understand that back-to-school preparations can be stressful, but we would like to offer some tips on how you can manage your dental check-up and stay cavity-free the whole school year!
Take Your Kids to the Dentist Before you send you kids off to school, schedule a routine cleaning and exam for them. During their visit, we take the time to show our young patients how to effectively brush their teeth for good oral health. We will also provide fluoride treatments and check to see if sealants are needed. These are great ways to help prevent decay and stop cavities before they start. With a third of children missing school because of oral health problems, this will help keep your child from becoming part of that statistic.
Encourage Good Oral Hygiene To keep their mouths healthy, kids need to brush at least twice a day for two minutes each time. You can make this time more exciting by creating a sticker chart or calendar (have them mark off each time they brush), listen to some of your child’s favorite music (select songs about two minutes long and have them brush during the entire song), allow your child to pick out their own toothbrush in a favorite color or theme and personalize the storage space for tooth brushing supplies.
Pick the Right Snacks Swap out lunchbox no-no’s with healthy alternatives. Instead of chips or crackers, try nuts. Replace candies or granola bars with crunchy snacks like celery sticks or baby carrots. Try offering fruits like apples and watermelon; you can also offer cubes of cheese. When it comes to drinks, make sure to limit the sugary varieties including popular sports drinks and replace them with good old fashion water!
Don’t Forget to Guard their Mouths If your child will be playing sports, be sure to talk to us about a mouth guard. If you already have one, be sure to bring it to your visit so we can check for excessive wear and to ensure if still fits properly.
https://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health/back-to-school-tips.html
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