5 REASONS BACK-TO-SCHOOL DENTAL CHECKUPS ARE A MUST
Regarding any disease, prevention and early detection are your best weapons. This is true in protecting your child’s teeth. Also creating healthy habits now will help educate them in keeping good habits for life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control cavities are one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood in the United States. Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning.
About 1 of 5 (20%) children aged 5 to 11 years have at least one untreated decayed tooth.
1 of 7 (13%) adolescents aged 12 to 19 years have at least one untreated decayed tooth.
Children who have poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don’t.
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR CHILD’S VISIT POSITIVE
If your child has never been to a dentist, making the first visit pleasant helps set the stage for their future treatment. We highly advise bringing them to the office for a visit before their appointment. Let them meet the dentist and our staff and get familiar with the office. Let them color, play with the toys or watch a video so they have a pleasant experience. This will familiarize them with going to the dentist.
Read books to your children about taking care of their teeth. There are lots of books for children about visits to the dentist. For example, for very young children there are The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, by Stan & Jan Berenstain and Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer. For older children there is Going to the Dentist by Helen Frost.
On their appointment day make it a pleasant thing to do. Plan a fun reward for them doing a good job at the dentist.
GETTING BACK TO ROUTINE
If your child’s routines got thrown off over the summer, now is a good time to get them back on track. This should include brushing first thing in the morning and brushing and flossing at night before bed.
SCHEDULE NOW
With all the summer events it’s easy to lose track of time. But soon you’ll be making those trips to the store for school supplies, new clothes and such. Best not to wait until the last minute to schedule your child’s dental visit as this can make scheduling more difficult for you. Contact us now and schedule before the summer has ended and school starts. Make sure to schedule your child for both a check for cavities and for dental cleaning.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nahid Afshari
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