Dental Health Care Tips For Back To School
Okotoks dentist Dr. Vicki McMullen sheds the news about dental health care tips for back to school.
Your children may be ready for school with the latest wardrobe, school supplies and sports equipment for the new school year, but do they have a healthy mouth and the tools they’ll need to maintain it? When was the last time your child saw the dentist?
A dental examination is as important as immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations. Your child should be visiting the dentist every 6 month to maintain good oral hygiene and health. Tooth Decay affects children more than any other chronic infectious disease and 19 percent of children ages 2 to 19 years old have untreated tooth decay. Dental pain or disease can lead to difficulty in eating, speaking, playing and learning as well as millions of hours of missed school.
Your child’s back-to-school checklist should include:
- Regular dental examinations to diagnose and treat or prevent dental problems. Parents and teachers may not realize there’s a dental problem, so regular checkups are important. Your dentist may suggest fluoride treatments or sealants to prevent decay and can diagnose and treat dental problems to save your child pain and lost school time.
- Regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. Head for the dental care isle when you’re out shopping for notebooks, binders and pencils. If parents buy several toothbrushes they could have their child change to a new one every three months or so, or after an illness. If it’s hard to remember when to change a brush, you could try to change it every time report cards come out.
- Eating healthy lunches and snacks. Include portable healthy lunch items and snacks in your child’s sack lunch, including grains, milk, cheese, raw vegetables, yogurt or fruit. If your child eats in the school cafeteria, review healthy, balanced food choices with him before the first day of school. Cut back on sugary foods and soft drinks.
- Wearing a properly fitted mouthguard while participating in organized sports, PE classes or playground activities.
It if is time for your regular dental examination and cleaning, or if you have any questions at all about your dental health, we are here for you. Please call at 587-757-9809. See you soon!
