School has either begun or will begin soon enough for your child. When school begins, we always want our children to look their best. That includes their teeth as well! (or at least it should). That’s why, as dentists, we’d like to remind you of a few things that perhaps may have slipped your mind during the summertime.

1. Re-enforce Excellent Oral Hygiene Habits

One of the main reasons children inevitably love summertime is because of the long hiatus, or vacation, they receive from school. No more having to worry about homework or studying/preparing for tests, etc. As a result, children have the potential to become lazy & this may include their oral hygiene.

We’d like to remind you to re-enforce good oral hygiene at home in order to help prevent your child from procedures such as a dental filling to cover up decay that could have been avoided had your child stuck to their brushing & flossing routine. Before even starting, it’s most likely time to replace their brush and re-stock their floss. Perhaps look into a water flosser or natural toothpaste options for a fresher, healthier clean.

Pro tip: brushing & flossing with them at a specified time every morning & night may help you & your child build a healthy, oral hygiene routine. It also allows you the opportunity to examine their form and adjust where necessary.

2. Consider Limiting Sugar Intake

Children can’t help it – they love candy. Many adults cannot help it, either. During summertime, the sweets and sugar consumption often spike. Ice cream and other cold treats to combat the hot sun are popular choices during the summer.

Unfortunately, the bacteria responsible for decay on teeth love sugar just as much as we do. Once school has resumed, we encourage you to place limitations on sugar consumption for the overall & oral health of your child (and for yourself, too!).

Pro tip: We recommend packing healthy lunches for your children. Lunches supplied by schools may be packed with unhealthy ingredients and additives that you are unaware of.

3. When’s The Last Time They Visited a Dentist?

Scheduling an appointment just before school starts is an ideal time to make sure any issues are addressed before the start of school and so that your children receive a fresh, natural dental cleaning to help combat the damage accumulated in the 2-3 months your children had off for summer.

If your child has not seen the dentist in roughly 6 months & school has just begun or will be starting, then we strongly encourage you to have them seen by a dentist as soon as possible to make sure nothing serious occurred over the summer.