Back to School Dental Care Advice for Parents

With school starting again and all of the hustle and bustle to get ready each morning, it can be easy for routine dental care to be forgotten. We want to offer just a few tips to help keep your kids teeth healthy even with a hectic schedule.

• Have them brush their teeth before breakfast. Ideally I would like to see them brush after they finish eating, but any way to find time to keep brushing in the routine is a good time. Brushing before breakfast can help save time.
• Choosing fruits, vegetables, and water over fruit snacks and juice boxes. When we sip on sugary juices or slowly eat sugary snacks, there is a prolonged exposure of the sugar on the teeth. Chances are your child will not be brushing their teeth after lunch which means there is more time for the sugar to attack the teeth.
• Sports mouth guards. Football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, field hockey and host of other sports involve the potential for trauma to the face and teeth. Over the counter guards can be effective, but a custom fitted guard offers a little more protection and is more likely to be properly used.
• Include dental exam and cleaning in your back to school checklist. When school is back in session, life tends to get even busier. Between sports and other after school activities, it can be difficult to find time to see the dentist. Appointments before and after work are the first to fill up, and if you want to avoid taking your child out of school we recommend scheduling in advance.
• Avoid sugary snacks and energy drinks while studying. Many kids, especially when they get older, have a tendency to snack on candy when they are studying for exams. And if they get tired, they may try some energy drinks to stay alert. Be sure to warn them of the potential harm if used too frequently. Too often we find a spike in cavities when students go away to college and let their home care slip.

Hopefully a few small changes can go a long way in keeping your kids teeth healthy.