BACK TO SCHOOL: Dental To-Do List!

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Back to school season is upon us! As school year routines resume it is a great time to set up great habits at home that teach kids to care for their teeth and overall oral health. Preventative measures like brushing teeth before bed and in the morning, learning about floss, and fluoride rinse can help your kids avoid decay and make dental visits a fun and positive experience. A back-to-school trip to the dentist is an excellent idea for parents to consider for starting their kids off on the right foot come autumn.

Doing a general checkup on your child’s teeth is the main priority of this visit. We will inspect the growth progress of your child’s teeth since their last visit; check the overall health of the teeth, gums, and roots; and also make sure the hard to reach spots have been attended to properly, like in the far back of the mouth and in between. Your hygienist may recommend a sealant procedure for your child’s teeth, which can be a huge help in the healthy development of teeth–a thin, often plastic material is coated over the child’s back molars, anywhere that teeth are used to chew. Combined with proper brushing and flossing, a sealant protects growing teeth from cavities. This makes life easier for both kids and parents! 

School sports season means protective gear and special equipment and should always include a custom mouthguard for your young athlete. In fact, in addition to uniforms, water bottles, and proper shoes, most sports programs also require kids to have a mouth guard before they play. Accidents happy, especially during the excitement of a game–no one wants to lose teeth from a wayward softball pitch, or poorly timed elbow to the face! Parents can choose from a variety of mouth guard options; ones that are pre-formed, and ones that are boiled to match the child’s bite can be found over the counter at the drugstore. These are a popular option due to the price and convenience. A custom-made mouthguard created in our office offers more protection and is highly recommended. 

We can simply take an impression of your child’s teeth at a routine visit to be sent to a dental lab, where the guard will be carefully crafted to match the bite. This method, executed by trained professionals, is much more reliable than the do-it-yourself method–it ensures that your child’s teeth are as protected as possible. The fit and feel of the mouth guard is the best possible, and are preferred by professional athletes. The materials used to create these mouth guards are also superior to those found over the counter, and can reliably protect teeth for a full season of rigorous play. Our Playsafe guards can be made in a wide array of colors so we can match school uniforms or complement team colors!

A back to school dental checkup added to your fall to do list can help re-establish good dental health care routines and habits, provide preventative care to help your kids avoid cavities and decay, and customize a new sports mouth guard. All ways you can help your child have a lifetime of healthy teeth!