The end of January brings a brand-new school year – but education begins at home! The foundations for great dental hygiene throughout life must be implemented early in life by parents or guardians.
The Australian Dental Association promotes the importance of establishing and maintaining good dental hygiene habits throughout childhood. Whether your child is starting school for the first time or is simply commencing the next year in their primary or secondary education, January is the perfect time to see the dentist for a back-to-school appointment to help stand their oral and dental health in good stead.
Even baby (milk) teeth need to be cared for, as they help with chewing, speech, jaw and facial development, and act as placeholders for the permanent teeth. A decayed or infected baby tooth may negatively impact the proper eruption of the adult teeth. Children who experience tooth decay or gum disease also frequently go on to have issues with their adult teeth.
Children can experience:
- Tooth decay
- Sensitive gums/gum disease
- Premature tooth loss
- Bad breath
- Thumb/finger sucking
- Mouth ulcers (canker sores)
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
These can all cause significant symptoms and ultimately lead to bigger issues.
6 Back-to-School Dental Tips
- Develop a Good Dental Routine at Home
Normalising good oral hygiene is important from your child’s earliest years and will set a foundation for the rest of his or her life. Younger children, in particular, will not question the teeth cleaning routines you set in place from the outset.
The school holiday period is the perfect time to establish (or re-establish) good brushing practices – brushing twice a day for two minutes (brushing to a favourite song is a great idea!) and flossing or using an interdental brush once per day (at night). Buy a new toothbrush at the beginning of the year (make it a fun one!) and choose a palatable children’s toothpaste for younger kids. (Replace toothbrushes or electric toothbrush heads every 3 months).
- Make Visiting the Dentist a Habit
Schedule a dental visit before the new school year starts, and make sure to see the dentist every six months – the second dental visit for your kids each year can easily become a winter-school-holidays habit as well. Scheduling during school holidays also means there’s no need to miss school for routine dental appointments!
Dental assessments are about more than keeping the teeth clean. Dentists will examine the teeth and mouth, as early intervention is important (for example, if future orthodontics are required).
- Encourage Good At-School Dental Habits
Brushing teeth at school is, realistically, not going to happen, no matter how much you’d like it to, and especially not for younger children. There are, however, good habits your kids can observe for the benefit of their teeth and gums (and their general health and wellbeing as well).
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- Drink plenty of plain, fresh water and rinse the mouth after eating at recess and lunchtime.
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- Encourage healthy eating habits by packing lunchboxes with fresh, non-processed foods including cheese, plain (unsweetened) yoghurt, apples, and natural trail mix (if your school allows this).
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- Avoid fruit juices, energy drinks, and soft drinks.
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- Make sure your child drinks plenty of milk at home.
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- Save sweet “treat” foods for an occasional after-school “reward” rather than packing these in the lunchbox.
- Early to Bed!
Getting enough sleep is essential for good overall health and well-being, including dental health. It is also required for daytime alertness, concentration, memory, mood, and safety. Much as your kids may not be thrilled about it, a good bedtime routine (at a reasonable time) must be implemented in the weeks before school goes back.
- Protect Teeth
If your child plays a sport, you need to protect their permanent teeth from potential damage from contact or other injuries. See your dentist for a custom sports mouthguard and teach your child how to properly care for it. While more expensive than a generic device, a custom mouthguard is better for your child’s developing teeth, gums, and jaw.
If your child grinds their teeth in their sleep, a dental splint for sleep may be helpful to protect the teeth and jaws – your dentist can advise.
- Rewards Good Habits
Incentivise good dental care habits in your kids – from good teeth brushing to making better food and drink choices. Make sweets a real treat and not an everyday expectation and offer non-sweet/chewy/crunchy/food rewards where appropriate.
Adam Dental Supplies is a leading distributor of dental supplies in Australia. As well as all of the clinical instruments, equipment, and other supplies you need for your practice, we also offer retail products from brands such as Ultradent and these include all of the essential preventative dental supplies that everyone needs.
Browse and shop with Adam Dental Supplies online now for great products from the brands you prefer, with outstanding service, fantastic prices, and fast delivery throughout Australia. |