Back to School, Back to Smiles

Back to school means trips to the mall for the latest styles, visits to the supermarket for notebooks and pencils, and appointments with hair stylists for back to school-worthy haircuts. There’s just one thing missing from this list that unfortunately many parents choose to opt out of – a trip to the dentist! Further, just like laying out clothes the night before, waking up early in the morning, and staying after school for extra-curricular activities, good oral hygiene needs to simply become part of your little ones’ daily routine. Here’s how you can make sure that your kids start off the school year with a healthy smile.

If you haven’t already, schedule a dentist appointment for your kiddos within the next couple of weeks. As hard as you may try to avoid it, they’re going to get their hands on all kinds of junk food and candy at school. It’s important that you know their teeth are in good health before this. The high levels of sugar found in some snacks and drinks will just make the problem worse, so if they have cavities or any other problem, you need to try twice as hard to correct it when they’re home.

Don’t stop efforts after the appointment. When you’re out shopping for school supplies, stop by the dental care aisle to stock up on toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and toothbrushes for the year. Remember that changing toothbrushes is important. After awhile, nasty germs accumulate. Change their brush out every report card or after they’ve been sick.

If your kids are involved in sports, now is the time to get them a mouth guard that fits properly. Don’t wait until they come home with a bloody mouth, missing a tooth! Putting it off isn’t worth the pain.

Finally, instead of sending your kids off to school with lunch money, try packing a nutritious lunch for them as often as possible. Packing a yummy sandwich, a side of fruits and veggies, and a sugar-free beverage is much better than sending them off with money to buy chili cheese fries not only for their oral health, but overall physical health as well.

Start the school year off right by taking care of teeth. When your little ones put on their new school outfits and rock their new haircuts, they’ll be able to flash beautiful smiles as well. After all the outfits and supplies are paid for, when all is said and done, watching them climb on the school bus confidently smiling is simply priceless.