Understandably, we want to give our children the best; it doesn’t matter how old they are. The years during which our children are in school may be the busiest of our lives. This busy-ness ramps up during certain times, like now. If you’ve found yourself going from sun-up to sun-down, driving from store to school to field to studio to home again, the last thing on your mind may be how to help your student avoid tooth decay.
That’s why we’re here. To remind you. There are risks that students face, and ways to minimize them.
Tips to Minimize Dental Health Risks
- Schedule your child’s next dental exam and cleaning now. Staying ahead of the game is beneficial for everyone. Routine dental care is one of the best ways to avoid the need for fillings and other restorative treatments. Look ahead to the next school break to make scheduling as easy as possible.
- Pay closer attention to your child’s brushing and flossing habits as the school year gets into full swing. Mornings can be quite busy for students (and for you!). As such, daily oral care habits may take a hit. In order to prevent painful and inconvenient problems, it is crucial that students maintain good habits that include two full minutes of brushing every morning and every night, and flossing before bed.
- Look closely at protective gear for student athletes. Any sport for which a mouth guard is recommended needs to be carefully observed. Market research suggests that a large percentage of players do not wear their required mouth guard. There is good reason for this: it’s not comfortable! Bulky boil-and-bite mouth guards get in the way of heavy breathing. They may also be directly uncomfortable to the gums. A custom-fit mouth guard from your dentist is thinner and more comfortable, but still durable enough to inhibit dental damage during sports.
Schedule a Consultation
There are numerous tips for helping students stay healthy, including providing lots of water and crunchy fruits and vegetables, all of which clean the teeth naturally. Working with your dentist, you can do a lot to help your student avoid unnecessary dental problems. For a visit to our Sherwood office, call (503) 925-9595.
