Keep Your Kids’ Teeth Healthy at School

Whether your child has started back to school already, or his/her first day is right around the corner, it is important to talk to your child about dental hygiene while at school. For most kids, school is a time of learning, catching up with friends, eating lunch, taking a few tests, and then heading home. Most kids probably don’t give much thought to their dental hygiene while they are at school, even though they should.

The most important thing a parent can do to promote good oral health for their children while they are at school is to help them make healthy food choices. If your child takes a packed lunch to school, it is essential that you provide healthy food options that will promote good oral health as well as overall health. Stay away from packing sugary foods and drinks, carbonated drinks, or drinks with a lot of dyes – all of these can cause cavities, staining, and tooth erosion. It is also necessary to pack foods that are beneficial to your child’s growing and changing body. Foods high in calcium, iron, protein, and fiber are good choices.

It is also helpful to provide your child with a small stash of oral hygiene supplies to keep in his or her locker. A toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, and a small plastic bottle of mouthwash can allow your child the means to quickly clean his/her teeth after eating lunch. If your child goes all day without brushing, everything he/she eats builds up on the teeth throughout the day. Not only can this cause bad breath, but bacteria thrive off of particles left behind after eating. When bacteria multiply throughout the day, they are putting your child’s teeth at risk.

For children who wear braces, a clean mouth is even more important. Brackets from braces are notorious for trapping food. Sending your child to school prepared with individual “flossers” specifically designed to use with braces can save your child embarrassment and a negative experience at his/her next orthodontics appointment.

At Montevallo Family Dentistry, we want to help promote a healthy smile for your entire family. A healthy smile is easy to achieve by practicing simple steps each day.

Posted on Behalf of Montevallo Family Dentistry