Its that time again! Back to school has crept up on us. After 6 weeks off, I’m sure you’re looking forward to having some normality and routine back into both yours and your children’s lives. So, with all the new starts that come with the start of the new school year, new school shoes, new stationary, trying to encourage your kids back into bed earlier, rummaging through their wardrobes to find if their school uniform still fits. Let’s start the year as we mean to go on and add these dental health tips to your back-to-school checklist.
Routine dental visits
If you’ve been meaning to book your child in for dental check-up, take this as a friendly reminder. Regularly attending the dentist is important to check for decay, erosion and other dental problems, as well as teaching proper dental care. It’s advisable to take your child to the dentist every six to twelve months, to keep their oral health as a priority. But also, it means if they’re younger they get used to the surroundings and the sensations associated with a dental check-up at the same time.
Make brushing their teeth a fun habit
As the age old saying goes “good habits start at home,” if you want your children to have healthy teeth and gums through to adulthood, the routines must first be set at home. Children need to brush their teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, but how do I make brushing teeth fun? Luckily, we live a world where pretty much anything is accessible on the internet, so we asked our dental team the advice they would give parents:
- Use a sticker chart – Reward your child with a sticker every time they brush their teeth for 2 minutes and if they gain so many stickers reward them with a prize at the end of the week.
- Musical toothbrushes – A lot of children’s toothbrushes on the market now are catered towards a fun interactive brushing experience.
- Imitation – Children like to copy others, so a good tip could be to brush your teeth at the same time as your child to show them brushing is good and fun.
Choose healthier pack-lunch options
We understand certain routines would have been broken over the summer break. Start the year as you mean to go on, and a good place to start is with your child’s pack lunch. Children naturally have a sweet tooth but encouraging some more healthy alternatives is always a good idea, we have listed a few ideas below:
- Yogurt or smoothie blend
- Banana oat cookies or banana muffins
- Rasin snack packs
- Carrot sticks and hummus
More ideas:
Healthy snack options https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-snacks-for-kids#popcorn
Lunch and snack ideas for back-to-school https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/school_lunch_and_snack_ideas
Remember, to keep in mind that oral health doesn’t just mean looking after your child’s teeth, it’s looking after their lips and gums too. And developing good dental habits at a young age is so important as after all prevention is better than any dental cure. Start the new school with a healthy, bright smile on your child’s face.
If you feel that you, or your child, have been let down by your dentist and have suffered as a result, you can contact the Dental Law Partnership to discuss your options. Call us for free on 0800 152 2036 or start your claim online within a few minutes here. There’s no risk involved. We work on a no-win, no-fee basis, so you won’t pay a penny if your case is unsuccessful.
Helpful links:
The shocking state of UK child health from obesity to tooth decay https://inews.co.uk/news/health/uk-child-health-obesity-tooth-decay-diet-3171689