5 Back to School Dental Tips!
By Elyse Brumfield, RDH
Supervised and Edited by Dr. Levy Do, DDS
It’s the end of Summer and we as parents are running around trying to get everything ready for the beginning of this school year! It’s hard to believe it’s already here and it’s easy to get into our busy daily routines once school has started. That’s why we came up with an easy 5-step list for you to keep your kids teeth healthy and on track during this school year!
5 Back to School Dental Tips:
Get into a good Oral Hygiene Routine.
Summer probably threw some of you off of routine with brushing twice a day and flossing before bed, right? Now’s a great time to get back into routine! Grab your toothbrush and your kids and make it a habit to brush together TWICE a day - once after breakfast and once before bed! Let your kids see you floss so they will want to try. Kid flossers to help them learn to floss, too! It can become a fun routine.
Pack healthy lunches.
Since it’s probably hard for them to find time to brush after lunch, try pack your kids healthy lunches and sugar-free snacks. This will help prevent bacteria or “sugar bugs” from sitting on their teeth all day, just waiting to start a cavity. Avoid packing sugary drinks, too such as sodas, Gatorade, and juices. Instead, try packing water or plain milk. Not sure what to pack? Check out our back to school lunch and snack ideas here.
Carry a toothbrush or xylitol gum.
If your kids are older, pack them a kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss in it. That way after lunch they can run and brush their teeth. If they don’t have time after lunch, xylitol gum will help. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that fights off bad cavity-causing bacteria and remineralizes tooth enamel. This will keep their teeth and mouths healthy.
Take a Walk.
Stress from school and the busy work weeks can lead to poor eating habits (frequent snacking, junk food, eating fast-food, etc.), restlessness or fatigue, and break routines. Taking just 30 minutes a day to exercise or take a walk is not only healthy for the body, but gives you more energy, boosts brain power, and helps keep you motivated in your daily routines.
Schedule your next dental cleaning.
The most important thing is to stay on track with you and your children’s dental visits! This can help prevent decay or cavities and help them keep their mouths healthy. Schedule your routine visits every 6 months and rule of thumb: the earlier the better! That way you can schedule during school breaks before they fill up!
We hope these simple steps will help make your school year less stressful when it comes to you and your child’s oral and overall health! Congratulations on a new school year and we hope it’s the best one yet!