For many of us, this is an exciting, stressful, nerve wracking, and fun adventure as summer winds to a close and our children gear up to go back to the classroom. For many of us, this is the beginning of kindergarten and a new world of learning, exploring, and making new friends is days away. It’s hard to believe how fast this time of year sneaks up on us! Are you and your family ready for back to school?
Making sure your family is up-to-date on their dental care is an important part of being prepared. Cavities can cost parents and children not only in terms of a trip to the dentist, but also time away from school and work, as well as the potential for discomfort. As with just about every expense in life, the axiom “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is very true in dentistry. We work to form a preventive plan and also educate our patients. Previously, we’ve coordinated with Ashland School District to visit the elementary classrooms to educate our children, and we look forward to doing so again this year!
Sending lunch to school with your child is a time honored rite of passage. Keep in mind foods high in water content help to produce more saliva, which helps to flush bacteria during and after a meal. Apples, celery, cucumbers and carrots are all great examples, and they go well with filling dips like hummus or a preferred nut-butter (peanut/almond/etc). For children who need a snack after school (I was a junk food snacker as a kid), boiled eggs, quality cheeses, pita chips, and yogurt are good choices.
One final thought on back to school: do your children participate in sports such as football, skateboarding, basketball, and hockey where oral trauma is probable? Mouth guards provide protection to an athlete’s teeth and jaw preventing injuries such as bruises and lacerations of the cheeks, lips, and tongue from impacting teeth. They also provide lower jaw support which prevents concussions resulting from the mandible receiving forces causing impact in the jaw joint at the base of the skull which transmit trauma to the brain. Teeth are also cushioned and protected from the force of trauma by spreading and redistribution of the force. These benefits are really only attainable through fabrication of a lab-processed custom mouth guards. We are happy to welcome you and your family to our practice. Have a great school year!
