Ensure Your Kid Starts a New School Term with a Healthy Smile

The run up to the start of every new term is a busy time for parents. They struggle to get
everything ready so that their kid can easily adapt to a brand-new term or even a brand-new
school.
While most parents will make sure their child has new clothes,
sports equipment, and other vital supplies, they may forget
about their dental health. School vacations are the perfect time
to make sure your kid is up-to-date with checkups and other
vital dental care.
Scheduling dental appointments out of term time can be a lot easier than having to take your
child out of school. If any treatment is needed, then it can generally be completed before the new
term begins.
Why Your Kid Needs Regular Dental Checkups
Regular dental checkups are particularly important for kids because their dental health can
change so quickly. Most children need to see a pediatric dentist every six months and they
should have their teeth professionally cleaned at the same time.
During these checkups, their dentist will thoroughly assess the condition of all their teeth, their
gums and oral tissues. They will also check the position of teeth yet to erupt.
This may be done using digital dental x-rays that show a childs jaws and the position of teeth
still underneath the gums. Children often require more frequent x-rays than adults. This isnt a
cause for concern because the digital equipment used today is extremely safe, only emitting low
levels of radiation.
What Happens If They Need Treatment?
If your dentist does find anything wrong with your childs teeth, they can produce a treatment
plan showing all possible options. These options will be thoroughly explained
to you and to your child if they are old enough to understand.
You will find pediatric dentists are particularly good at talking to children about
dental care. They use words they can easily understand with explanations often
made even clearer through the use of diagrams or models.
This kind of approach can be enormously reassuring for a child that may be a
little nervous about receiving dental treatment.
Will Your Child Need Braces?
Another thing your dentist will be looking for during these regular checkups is the development
of your childs jaws and teeth. While not every child will need to wear braces, this treatment can
be highly beneficial for some.
A child can have an orthodontic evaluation as early as age 6 or seven. This is because by this
stage an orthodontist will be able to see how their teeth and jaws will develop and if any
problems will arise in the future.
The advantage of having an early orthodontic evaluation is that any treatment can be planned to
take place at optimal times. This often coincides with a childs growth spurts. At this age
childrens jaws are still quite soft as the bones are still developing. Its possible to use dental
appliances that will guide this growth, forming the facial bones into optimal positions.
This helps to create sufficient room for their adult teeth to erupt properly. It also means that they
can benefit from having the best possible facial profile. Sometimes early orthodontic treatment
may mean there is no need for your child to wear braces during their teens. Other times treatment
will be planned in two different stages and will include orthodontic care during their teens.
The amount of treatment required is likely to be more straightforward and quicker. If your child
does need braces then its possible your dentist may recommend fitting them during their
vacation. This will allow them plenty of time to get used to wearing braces and to looking after
them and may help to make treatment a little easier.
Maintaining Good Dental Health during School Terms
Once your child is back at school then you may have to pack them a regular lunch box. While
you want to encourage them to eat foods that will give them plenty of energy, its also important
to keep an eye on their dental health.
You should provide snacks that are tooth friendly. One thing that can help tremendously is to
think about what you will provide for them to drink as many parents will pack a juice box.
Its quick, easy and tasty and children like them, but fruit juice can be packed with sugar. Even a
100% fruit juice with no added sugar will still contain a lot of natural sugars. The American
Academy of Pediatrics recently released new recommendations as to how much juice a child
should consume each day. Children aged between four and six shouldnt have any more than 6
ounces of juice each day.

Kids aged 7 to 18 shouldnt consume any more than 8 ounces or 1 cup of juice each day. These
recommendations are for hundred percent natural juices that dont contain any added sugar.
Ideally, its best to avoid giving them any fruit juice. Instead, the most tooth friendly beverage is
plain water while non-fat or low-fat milk is also a good choice. For the main part of their lunch,
try to choose whole grain foods.
Like rice, pasta, bread or wraps and fill with lean meats, tofu, poultry or fish, or nuts and seeds.
Other good foods to pack include cheese as this contains plenty of calcium which is great for
teeth, as well as plain or sugar-free yogurt. Natural nuts make a good snack, but granola bars,
fruit leather, and dried fruit tends to be high in sugar. Instead, you might want to think about
including fresh veggies that can be dipped into hummus or a yogurt-based dip.
Crunchy fruits make a great addition to any lunchbox because they contain lots of fiber and have
lots of water. The fiber has a slight scrubbing action on teeth while the water content helps to
wash away excess food, bacteria and old skin cells.
Protecting their Teeth During Sports
Dont forget, if your kid loves to play sports then talk to your dentist about a sports mouthguard.
This is a custom-made device that will provide maximum protection for your childs teeth. It will
be comfortable to wear, wont interfere with their breathing. Its likely they can pick their own
color and design which makes it more fun to wear.
Although a bit more expensive than something you can buy over-the-counter, a custom-made
mouthguard will provide much more protection. This will potentially save your child from a
lifetime of costly restorative dental work.