By the end of summer, parents are in a rush to get their kids ready for school. This means getting everything squared away: acquiring all of the supplies, handling immunizations, and all the works. But with all the necessary focus on setting children up to pass their math and English exams, worrying about them acing their dental exams can fall by the wayside. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your kid on top of oral hygiene and ahead of tooth decay as they prepare to kick-off the new school year.
Summer Can Make It Easy to Fall Out of Good Habits
A child’s schedule can become quite loose during the summer. Without school or homework to worry about, June, July, and August become an endless string of late nights and summertime snacking. This can make it a little too easy to forget brushing here or flossing there until a well-constructed oral health regimen begins to erode. The school year starting is a chance to turn this all around.
The School Year Provides Structure
Having a daily schedule to adhere to can make sticking to good oral hygiene a much easier task. If a student has all morning to get around to brushing their teeth, they might just keep putting it off until it’s late afternoon. If they have fifteen minutes to do it between breakfast and the bus arriving, there’s no time for them to procrastinate. The same applies in the evening when they have to be in bed in time to get a good night’s sleep for the next school day.
Tips for Good At-School Oral Hygiene
There are some easy ways to practice good oral hygiene during school hours. An excellent way to start is to pack nutritious, low-sugar snacks and lunches for your child. Fibrous foods like carrots and celery can help clean the teeth during the chewing process while giving the child the nutrients needed for proper oral health. Chewing sugar-free gum after meals is a great way to stimulate saliva flow which helps clean the teeth of bacteria and food debris. Just make sure the kid knows not to stick it under the desk during class. A thorough brushing at least thirty minutes after lunch can be beneficial as well.
A fresh school year is a time of new beginnings, and that sort of transition is a great time to establish good habits. By making sure your child starts the school year off right with superb dental hygiene, you set them up to pass their next dental exam with flying colors.
About the Author
Dr. Omid Mehdipour practiced dentistry in Iran for almost a decade before completing his doctorate at the University of Colorado School of Dentistry. He is currently a member of the American Dental Association and California Dental Association. His practice provides preventive, pediatric, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. If you’re interested in knowing more about how to set your child up for a good dental exam this school year, contact his office online or dial (714) 520-8888.
