With September right around the corner, that means school is almost back in session. As we all know, the start of a new school year often brings busy schedules filled with rushed mornings, endless after-school activities, and of course late nights spent finishing up homework. Let’s be honest; when life gets that chaotic, sometimes our dental hygiene routines can easily slip through the cracks. Children and even most adults sometimes forget to brush and floss twice a day. That’s exactly why we are here: to provide you with some super easy, helpful tips to set your child up for a healthy, cavity-free back-to-school season.
UPGRADE THE LUNCHBOX
Pack your child’s lunchbox with delicious, tooth-friendly alternatives like fresh fruit, crunchy veggies, yogurt, and string cheese. Try your best to avoid sticky treats like fruit snacks or starchy snacks like goldfish and pretzels, which love to stick to teeth and cause cavities.
My absolute go-to snack to pack for my boys would be apple slices or low-sugar yogurt drinks. They love them, and it’s great for their teeth.
ON-THE-GO
Toss a pack of fun kids’ flossers right into your child’s lunchbox and encourage them to do a quick clean after eating at school. Parents, you can also keep a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in your car or purse for those frantic mornings or post-practice rushes.
ALWAYS CHOOSE H2O
Strongly encourage your kids to drink water throughout their day. Water naturally helps rinse food particles and bacteria out of their mouths after meals. When it comes to school fuel, always opt for water over sugary juices, sports drinks and of course, soda.
PROTECT THEIR SMILE
If your child plays football, soccer, basketball, hockey, or any other contact sport, don’t forget a properly fitted mouthguard. A mouthguard is one of the easiest ways to help prevent any type of dental trauma during practices and games. We recommend “Shock Doctor” brand mouthguards, which can be found at sporting-goods stores, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
SCHEDULE YOUR CHILD’S DENTAL VISIT
Lastly, we urge parents to remember to schedule your child’s routine dental visits every six months. Booking that back-to-school checkup is truly the ultimate way to stay on top of your child’s oral health, catch small issues before they become bigger ones, and keep those bright, healthy smiles shining all year long.
Here’s to a successful school year filled with lots of learning and even more happy and healthy smiles, from all of us at Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics!
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