Six Steps to a Healthy Smile Before the First Day of School
As summer winds down and Central Virginia families start shopping for backpacks and notebooks, one item is easy to overlook on the back-to-school list: a dental checkup.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. children lose an estimated 34 million school hours every year because of unplanned, emergency dental care, and by age 9, half of all children have already had a cavity in a baby or permanent tooth. A quick visit to the dentist before the first bell rings can help your child start the school year with a healthy, confident smile instead of a toothache.
At Forest Smiles in Forest, Virginia, we have been helping families throughout Lynchburg, Bedford, and Amherst County get their kids school-ready since 2003. Here is a simple checklist to help you plan your child’s dental care before back-to-school.
1. Schedule a Routine Checkup and Cleaning
Even if your child brushes and flosses faithfully, plaque and tartar build up in places a toothbrush cannot fully reach. A professional cleaning and exam allow our hygienists to catch small issues, like the beginning of a cavity or a spot of gum irritation, before they turn into a problem that pulls your child out of class for an emergency appointment. If it has been more than six months since your child’s last visit, late summer is the perfect time to get back on schedule.
2. Ask About Sealants
Dental sealants are thin, protective coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of the back molars, where cavities most often form in children. The CDC has found that sealants are a proven, low-cost way to help prevent tooth decay in school-aged kids. If your child has recently gotten their permanent molars, ask your dentist whether sealants make sense as part of their back-to-school visit.
3. Catch Problems Early With a Full Exam
Because oral pain can make it hard for kids to concentrate, eat, and sleep, catching issues early matters for more than just their teeth. Research on children’s oral health has found that kids with dental problems are significantly more likely to miss school and to fall behind on schoolwork than their peers with healthy smiles. A thorough exam, including X-rays when appropriate, gives your dentist a complete picture of your child’s oral health so nothing is missed.
4. Get a Mouthguard for Fall Sports
If your child is heading back to football, soccer, or another contact sport this fall, a properly fitted mouthguard is one of the simplest ways to prevent a dental emergency. Custom mouthguards fit better and offer more protection than the one-size-fits-all versions sold at sporting goods stores, and they are worth asking about at your child’s back-to-school appointment.
5. Restock Their Dental Care Kit
New backpack, new lunchbox, new toothbrush. Dentists generally recommend replacing a toothbrush every three to four months, so the start of a new school year is a natural reminder to swap out an old, worn-down brush and stock up on fluoride toothpaste for the year ahead.
6. Pack Smile-Friendly Lunches and Snacks
Busy school mornings often mean packaged, sugary snacks make their way into the lunchbox. When you can, swap sticky or sugary items for options like cheese, fruit, vegetables, or nuts, which are gentler on developing teeth and less likely to cling to enamel throughout the school day.
A Kid-Friendly Experience at Forest Smiles
We know that a trip to the dentist can feel intimidating for young patients, so our team works hard to make every visit comfortable and even fun. We welcome children as soon as their first teeth start coming in, and our hygienists are experienced at helping even nervous kids feel at ease during cleanings, checkups, and sealant treatments.
At the end of every visit, children get to pick a toy from our office’s toy chest, giving them one more reason to look forward to their next appointment.
Schedule Your Child’s Back-to-School Visit Today
A back-to-school dental checkup is one of the easiest ways to help your child start the year off strong, focused, and free of the kind of toothache that leads to missed classes.
Dr. Shane Claiborne and Dr. Emma Schmidt at Forest Smiles are ready to help your child head into the new school year with a healthy smile. Call 434-944-9763 or request an appointment online to get your family scheduled before the first day of school.