Try These Dental Tips for Children Going Back to School!

Check out These Fun Dental Tips to Start Your Back-To-School Routine!

With summertime ending and the school year starting, American families are settling back into their daily routines. As you and your family prepare for the coming academic year, don’t forget to look at your child’s dental hygiene habits. Dental health can affect your child’s overall health, and dental problems are one of the top reasons why children miss school during the school year. Help your child to get into important dental routines with these dental tips for back to school!

1. Take your child to the dentist
   There’s no single dental tip that can match the value and necessity of a back to school dental check up. Whether your child has had dental problems in the past or appears to be in good oral health, a trip to the dentist should be an essential part of the academic year. Visits to the dentist accomplish a variety of objectives, such as getting a dental cleaning (which cleans deeper than a toothbrush can,) screening for cavities or other illness, and receiving personalized dental education.
   
2. Make flossing and brushing fun
   To keep the teeth clean and thus protected from harmful bacteria, tooth brushing should happen twice each day, roughly 12 hours apart. You can make tooth brushing fun by either humming or playing. Toddlers especially need their parents to help them brush their teeth until they develop the coordination necessary to do it themselves. Light-hearted playfulness and song can help create a positive association with the habit.
   
   Don’t forget to incorporate flossing into your child’s oral health routine. Without flossing, bacteria can easily accumulate in the spaces between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach. At your child’s annual dental visit, the dentist can show you how to best use floss.
   
3. Focus on snacking
   Even if you’re making an effort to plan for balanced meals, snacking can often undo a lot of that good work when there is an abundance of junk foods on hand. When it comes to dental health, the major culprit of cavities is sugar. But sugar doesn’t just include sweet candies and soda; it also includes chips and anything that is quickly broken down into simple sugars. While it can be difficult to convince children to reduce their sugar intake, it is possible.
   
   The body will naturally adapt itself to a different level of sugar intake over several months if a new regimen is consistently followed. Don’t buy soda for consumption at home. Instead, think about ways to replace the sweet treats with fun snacks. For example, hummus and oven-roasted pita bread go over well for an after-school snack, and a banana with peanut butter will boost energy until the next meal.
   
   Take some time to search for healthy snack alternatives and plan out the next week so that old habits don’t have the chance to fill in the gaps. Once you’ve gotten into the habit and figured out what works best for your family, you’ll observe improved dental health (and improved energy levels) in your children, not to mention in yourself!

Get more fun dental tips from Penn Dental Family Practice!

If you’re looking for a dental office with a wide range of specialties but which focuses specifically on families, then Penn Dental Family Practice is the provider for you!

We take a comprehensive approach to family dentistry. Our pediatric team is made up of dentists with special training in children’s dentistry, who remain at the forefront of research and practice. All of our work is backed by our Penn reputation, as we are staffed by dentists who teach the next generation at the University of Pennsylvania dental school. Put simply, at PDFP you’ll enjoy the best of family and pediatric dentistry.

Schedule an appointment to receive personalized dental tips for back to school this year from dentists at the top of their profession.