School is back in session – well, almost. You are going to be buying school clothes and school supplies before long, if you haven't already started stocking up a bit. But there is one thing that you don't want to forget about – your children's oral health. Here are three tips that you will want to add to your back-to-school to-do list:
Tip #1: Schedule a Dental Check-up.
Right before school starts, the best thing that you can do for your children's oral health is to schedule their six-month check-up. This will allow them to get a thorough exam (X-rays included) and a good dental cleaning. Make sure to talk to the dentist about fluoride treatments and sealants, as both of these will help to prevent decay of the teeth – stopping cavities in their tracks before they can begin to form.
Tip #2: Pack Tooth-Friendly Lunches.
While your kids would probably love to have a lunchbox full of greasy potato chips and chocolate bars, you need to make sure that you remain smart about the foods and snacks that you choose to place in your children's lunchboxes. Stay away from sugars, salts, etc., as these foods will stick to the teeth and cause decay.
Instead, you'll want to focus on healthy options. Some excellent fruit ideas include slices of apples with caramel, slices of strawberries, slices of bananas, and easy-to-eat grapes. For vegetables, consider baby carrots with ranch, celery sticks with peanut butter and steamed broccoli with a little bit of melted cheese. Some other options include cubes of cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and nuts. You will also want to stick to water or milk instead of soda or juice.
Tip #3: Try to Make Brushing/Flossing More Fun.
Most kids do not like brushing and flossing their teeth; however, it is imperative that they brush twice daily and floss once daily in order to keep their mouths healthy. To help make these activities a bit more exciting for your children, there are a few things that you can do. Here are a few ideas:
- Let Them Pick – Take your children to the store so they can pick out their very own "cool" toothbrush, tasty (hopefully) toothpaste, and a kid-friendly flosser. More often than not, this actually helps set the mood for brushing and flossing.
- Play Music – Most kids love music and enjoy dancing, so compile some two-minute songs that your children love and have them brush and dance to them.
- Sticker Calendar – Print out a calendar and allow your children to place stickers on each day that they successfully brush and floss their teeth as they should. At the end of the week or month, they will receive a reward if they have a sticker on every day.
If you haven't already, call your child's dentist and get that back-to-school dental appointment scheduled.
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