Most children across the country are getting settled back in to a normal school routine by now. We want to wish all of our parents and students a successful academic year! We hope for a year of enrichment, fun, and some hard lessons. Do your best and make sure to stop every once in a while and enjoy it!
To help our parents get settled back into the school year, we're going to post a three-week segment this month to remind you of some dental items to add to your back-to-school list. It's a busy time with a lot of changing routines, and it's especially important because these are critical development years. Keep your child safe and healthy and visit each of these items early in the school year:
Oral Health Assessment
At the beginning of each school year, it can be helpful to take an inventory of where your child's oral health care is at. Take a look around their mouth and make sure you see they are
brushing properly. Whether they are younger or in their teens, quiz them on their oral hygiene habits and make sure they are taking care of themselves.
A good oral health assessment will tell you which areas need the most attention, and it also helps reinforce how important oral health is. To begin your own family's oral health assessment, you can use the sections we'll mention over the next few weeks. Make notes of things you can improve, appointments you need to make, and money you might need to budget.
Daily Routines
After taking a good assessment of the situation, start improving your children's oral health by optimizing their daily routines. Ensure they're brushing twice a day and actually using dental floss. Dental floss is one of the most underutilized oral health tools despite your teen's insistence he or she uses it every day.
If your children are younger, sit with them while they brush. You shouldn't make it a point to let them know you're monitoring their brushing, but sit talk to them as they do it and see if there is any room for improvement. Make sure they're not brushing too hard or ineffectively. It usually only takes a few weeks of enforcing good routines before they become healthy habits
Supplies and Tools
Since you'll be in and out of the store buying pens, paper, and post-its, it's a good time to take an inventory of your dental supplies at home. Make sure you're adequately stocked on all the daily stuff like brushes, mouthwash, and floss. Check the sales that correspond with the stores you'll already be visiting. Try planning ahead as buying in bigger quantities is usually a better buy. If you need any special tools or supplies from your dentist, get in touch with the office early as this is a busy time for other families too.
Thanks for Reading!
We hope this week's post helps you get your student(s) off to a healthy new school year. We'll share some more dental checklist items next week. Please like our Facebook page or share it with a friend if you enjoy reading our blog.