Why You Should Add “Dentist Appointment” to Your Back to School Checklist

The start of a new school year can be crazy. While your child may be enjoying the last few days of sleeping in and playing in the pool, you’re busy going through your checklist to make sure the refrigerator is stocked, school supplies are bought, and new clothes are hung up in the closet. But one of the most important items you should add to your list is a visit to your child’s dentist in Ridgefield. Making sure their oral health is in good shape as they prepare for a new and exciting year is important and beneficial. While it might be a chaotic time for you, find out why it’s best to schedule this appointment before the summer ends.

Back-to-School Appointment Benefits

Before the summer is over, it is in your best interest to go ahead and schedule your child’s dentist appointment. Your time is precious and trying to rearrange your daily tasks to ensure a dentist appointment makes it onto the list of to-do’s can be difficult. However, when looking at your availability in the summer in comparison to the school year, you can easily see why summer is better.

Here are just a few of the benefits of scheduling a dentist appointment for your child in the summer:

• Healing is Complete: Does your child need a wisdom tooth extraction? Maybe they need braces? Whatever their dental needs require, you can make sure these procedures take place during the summer and that they’re fully healed before the new school year.
• More Time: Who doesn’t need more time in the day? While you may only get 24 hours, it’s likely you’ll have more pockets of free time in the summer than during the school year, and so will your child.
• No Missed Games: Does your child play sports? If you wait to schedule their appointment after school is in session, they could miss an important practice. And if they need dental work or a procedure, they might end up missing a game because of the necessary time they’ll spend recovering.
• No Missed Classes: Even more important than athletics is the fact that your child won’t be missing any classes. Summertime appointments won’t leave you or your child worrying about important notes or information that was missed for an upcoming test. The more appointments you can take care of before school starts, the more opportunity for your child to learn while in class.

Helping Your Child Maintain Good Oral Health

No matter what grade your child is entering, you can expect the school year to be filled with fun and excitement, as well as frustration and maybe even some anxiety. While helping your child push through their full days and late nights of practice and homework, it’s important they continue to practice good oral hygiene habits.

Too often, children’s teeth are plagued by tooth decay and cavities because of ineffective dental practices. To ensure this doesn’t happen, here are some tips to help your child manage their oral health:

• Brushing twice a day for two full minutes. Set a timer if necessary.
• Flossing at least once a day, making sure they’re doing it correctly.
• Rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash.
• Limiting their sugar and starch intake to prevent decay and cavities from forming.
• Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep bacteria out.

With summer ending and school starting, there will be less time in the day. Save yourself the headache and hurriedness and schedule your child’s dental appointment before they begin the new year. By the time that the first week is over, you’ll be glad you did.

About the Author
Dr. Dana Jones graduated from the University at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine in 1991. He has since participated in numerous continuing education courses and seminars on various advanced dentistry topics. He is a graduate of the Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education and the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Dr. Jones also has advanced training from New York University and served as a clinical teacher at NYU Dental School.

He and his team at Ridgefield Perfect Smile Center can meet the dental needs of every member of your family. No matter the age, we’re here to help! To learn more about our services, contact us via our website or by calling (203) 438-8919.