Florida is about to go back to school. This week, we want to help you make sure your child’s teeth are ready to start the school year!

Oral Health Affects School Success

Did you know that oral health affects school performance? If you’ve ever had dental pain, you know how impossible it is to concentrate on anything else. It should come as no surprise, then, that kids with oral pain perform measurably worse in school than classmates with good oral health. On top of worse performance while they’re in school, tooth problems can keep kids out of school. It’s estimated that kids in the US miss about 52 million hours of school per year because of dental problems.

Good oral health also contributes to whole-body wellness. Children suffering with poor oral health frequently also show signs of malnutrition and infections. Cavities are the #1 most common illness in children, and yet they frequently go untreated until they cause huge problems.

An oral health check-up is an essential part of any back-to-school preparations. If you want your kids to have a great school year, catching up on their dental visits is a great place to start!

Be Back-to-School Ready with Great Home Care Habits

The key to great oral health starts at home. Make sure your kids are practicing great habits, including twice daily brushing for two minutes, and aiming for once daily flossing. Your level of involvement will change as your child grows up, of course, but we find many parents are a little too eager to leave kids 100% in charge of their own brushing. Here’s an easy general guideline for your role in your kid’s home habits:

• 0-6 years old: It’s all on you. Children under about 7 years of age do not have the fine motor skills to brush their teeth effectively. Don’t get us wrong: your 2-year-old is going to want to do it “all by myself,” and by all means let them! But make it clear that you will be doing a “double-check” afterward, every time. As tempting as it is to let your 5-year-old handle it, trust us when we say they’re not physically ready yet.
• 7-12 years old: Kiddos at this age probably have pretty good fine motor skills. If they can tie their own shoes, they’ve probably got enough control to be capable of doing a decent job brushing. But whether they will is another question entirely. At these ages, we recommend monitoring their brushing and making corrections if they’re going too fast or using poor technique. Maybe even grab that brush and go over it once or twice a week for them.
  Also keep in mind that as kids enter that adorable phase where they’ve got half baby teeth and half permanent, they’re going to have a lot more spots that are really difficult to brush properly. So help them out a bit.
• 12-18 years old: Okay, they should have it on lock by now. Unfortunately, this is when two huge problems happen for kids’ teeth: 1) they get much less concerned about impressing their parents; and 2) they get braces. Talk about a recipe for disaster. It will get harder as your kid hits teen years, but be sure to check their teeth every once in a while and emphasize to them how important it is to maintain good oral health. If you find it appropriate and they’re at “that age,” maybe remind them nobody wants to make out with someone with filthy teeth and stinky breath.

In general, at all ages, you can help set your kid up for success with the right gear. Namely, an electric toothbrush and a water flosser. We recommend Sonicare and WaterPik respectively. While these gadgets may seem like a bit of an investment, they’re well worth it. They’ll save you hundreds in dental work. They take out a lot of the guesswork and room for error, which will give your kids their best opportunity for good dental health.

Bonus Round: Get Your Kid to Protect Their Oral Health While They Are at School

Especially for kids with braces, a little tooth cleaning at school goes a long way. Pack a toothbrush with their lunch and instruct them to take a quick swipe after lunch. Or, if they’d, like, totally drop dead from embarrassment, ask them to at least swish with water after lunch to clean some of the chunks out.

If your kid is allowed to chew gum at school, a piece of sugar-free gum is another great way to keep things clean throughout the day.

In general, help your child avoid sugary drinks during the day. Pack water instead of juice. And sports drinks are an absolute no-go, especially while your kid is in braces. Similarly, if your child needs a little sweet treat during their school day, try to steer them away from sticky stuff that can cling to their teeth. A little piece of chocolate will rinse clean much more easily than taffy, for example.

Protect Your Kids’ Teeth and Have a Great School Year!

Fluoride is another essential part of great oral health for kids. So when you come in for that next oral health check, be sure to ask for a fluoride treatment. This mineral supplement strengthens enamel to protect the teeth from cavities.

Sealants are another important treatment to consider. Sometimes, anatomy just works against us. For some children, their molars have deep pits and grooves that even the most perfect brushing in the world won’t be able to clean. Ask your dental team if they think sealants are appropriate for your kiddo.

Keep smiling and have a wonderful school year, Orlando!