3 Dental Tips To Ensure You And Your Child Are Ready For The First Day Of School
Posted on: 20 July 2015
Did you know that children with poor oral health are much more likely to miss days of school, have poor school performance and experience more dental pain? In fact, according to this study, they are three times more likely to miss school due to oral health pain. Therefore, your child's oral health status is critical in ensuring that they have a good education. Here are three very important tips to consider:
Add a Dental Checkup to Your Back-To-School To-Do List.
From school supplies to school shopping, you have a list of things that you need to do and get before school starts. The best way to make sure your child's teeth are in tip-top shape is to go ahead and schedule a routine dental check-up. This should simply be made as part of your list so that it isn't forgotten. By scheduling his appointment before school starts, any problems can be fixed ahead of time, and you won't have to worry about your child missing out on valuable class time.
Don't Forget to Get a Mouth Guard.
The aforementioned appointment is also the perfect time to have your child fitted for a mouth guard if he or she plays contact sports. Believe it or not, some of the most common injuries in sports are dental-related injuries. In fact, over five million teeth are knocked out every year, with a large majority of those occurring during sports. Athletics are an integral part of life for many children, so it is important that your child is protected from dental injuries. The best way to do this is with a mouth guard custom made by your dentist. This is particularly important if your child plays sports like baseball, softball, football, field hockey, squash, volleyball, rugby and wrestling.
Start a Kid-Friendly Healthy Lunch Routine.
If your child takes his or her lunch to school, it is worth taking the time to learn the best types of foods for your child's teeth. Strawberries are an excellent fruit to add into the lunchbox, as they aren't only tasty, but they help whiten the teeth. High-calcium foods, such as cheese, are also a good idea, as are fruit, cheese, grains, yogurt and raw vegetables. You should definitely eliminate – or at least decrease significantly – the amount of soft drinks and sugary foods. You can get started with these kid-friendly lunch recipes from Eating Well.
For more information, contact Kids First Pediatric Dentistry or a similar location.
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