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The final quarter of the 2019-2020 academic year was like no other in modern history. Because of COVID-19, U.S. schools and colleges lay dormant as millions of students carried on their studies via distance learning. Whether the upcoming school year will be online or in-person, the end of summer is still a great time to make sure your family’s dental health is on track.
Normally, dental care is one of several items that families focus on right before school begins anew. But even if school won’t be resuming in the traditional sense, you can still put the spotlight on your family’s teeth and gums.
Here are 4 dental care areas that deserve your attention before the new school year begins.
Re-energize daily hygiene. The break in routine caused by sheltering in place may have had a stilting effect on regular habits like brushing and flossing. If so, now’s the time to kick-start your family’s daily hygiene. Brushing and flossing remove disease-causing plaque and are essential to long-term prevention of tooth decay and gum disease.
Schedule a dental cleaning. Regular professional cleanings, generally every six months, are necessary to remove hard-to-reach plaque and tartar. Scheduling may have been difficult this past spring, but as life starts to get back to normal, be sure to return to regular dental visits as soon as possible. During appointments, we can spot small issues that if left undetected could cause bigger problems later on.
Reassess your family’s diet. If the last few months have impacted your normal food choices, you may want to take a closer look at your family’s diet and what effect it may have on dental health. Processed foods with added sugar contribute to the risk of dental disease. But a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy contains abundant nutrients for strengthening teeth and gums.
Seek special evaluations as needed. It’s a good idea to have your child undergo an orthodontic evaluation around age 6: If they have a poor bite developing, early intervention could prevent or minimize it. And you should have your teenagers’ wisdom teeth monitored regularly in case they’re impacted or causing other dental problems—they may require removal in early adulthood or before.
Hopefully, this unusual interruption in education will soon become a distant memory. But even with the school routine being upended as it has, you can still take advantage of the end of summer to give your family’s dental health a boost.
If you would like more information about back-to-school dental care, please contact us or schedule a consultation. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Top 10 Oral Health Tips for Children.”
Tags: Oral Health