Holiday Skin and Dental Care
'Tis the season! Savannah Dental is looking forward to some holiday cheer - and preparing our patients to look their best for their upcoming holiday parties.
Savannah Dental’s Back to School Guide
While every family has its own back-to-school traditions, the start of each school year is a season as stressful as it is exciting. At Savannah Dental, we suggest that you prioritize a dental checkup for your children - and not because school photos are around the corner! Although we do have some pointers on the importance of a great smile.
Keep reading to see our Back to School 101 post, where we’ll cover what to expect in a dental exam, how to establish a routine with your kids for healthy teeth, and what kind of snacks will minimize tooth decay - one of the most common health conditions in children.
Reasons to schedule a back to school exam
The state of Georgia requires that public school students provide a certificate of dental examinations.
Beyond that, we’ve observed that many of our patients’ parents save money in the long run by taking a proactive approach to dental health. Prevention is worth an ounce of cure. Issues like dental decay, tooth sensitivity and jaw misalignment are fairly easy to treat at an early stage,
Untreated dental issues can often lead to other health problems. Decay could lead to heart and respiratory diseases if left untreated for long periods of time. Unbearable symptoms could result in chewing and speech problems. Bringing your children in for regular dental exams can be good for their overall health.
Any time is a good time to come in for a dental exam, but we recommend booking an appointment if school starts when possible. This way your child won’t have to risk missing class or other extracurricular activities for their dental appointments.
It’s important for children to develop a relationship with a dentist early in life so that they can maintain their smile over the years. Our dental services are designed for the entire family.
We have significant experience in pediatric dentistry. Not only do we strive to make all children feel comfortable in our office, we make sure they have fun at the same time! That’s not to say that we’re all about trains, balloons and stuffed animals. We can also cater to teenagers who are looking for a more grown-up dental experience.
For younger children, we recommend booking appointments early in the day or after naptime, when kids are more likely to be cooperative and alert. If they have a history of fear around going to the dentist, let them know what they will experience at their dental visit so that they will be prepared.
If you have older children, book their appointments first so they can lead by example. There’s nothing like the fear of missing out to calm the nerves of a young dental patient!
What to expect in your student’s back to school exam:
Your student’s back to school exam could also include:
Establishing a home routine for dental health success
It’s pretty common to relax routines a bit during the summer. The beginning of a school year can often be a rude awakening, so anything you can do to ease your kids into a dental care-friendly routine gets a thumbs up.
Making sure you start slowly adjusting bedtimes to accommodate tooth brushing and flossing before bed and in the mornings.
Also try incorporating dental supplies into your back to school shopping. Get your kids involved and let them pick out their own toothpaste flavors (hello, bubble mint!) and toothbrushes.
Consider implementing a reward system for an extra motivation boost when it comes to brushing teeth. Mix it up and have fun with tooth time - have the whole family brush their teeth together, or make a groovy tooth brushing playlist.
Smile-friendly snacks
Having healthy snacks are an easy, take-charge way to prevent little hands from grabbing cupcakes, candy, and other tooth decay-inducing foods.
Here are some ideas for snacks that are easy on the teeth.
Some balanced snacks you can make ahead of time include:
We also recommend fruit-infused water for a beverage treat that’s much better for kiddo teeth than sugary juice drinks and sodas.
If you’re in the Savannah area, set up appointments for your students and yourself. We hope these tips and ideas will help make the back to school transition easier for you and your family.
