Ahh, August. The end of Summer. Stores are filled with pencils and notebooks in every color, including some you didn’t know existed. The clothing and backpack aisles reveal a whole new aspect of our children’s worlds as we see what characters are popular this year. It’s a time of new beginnings and big changes, which is why this is also the perfect time for a dental checkup. Don’t believe me?
Here are our top 6 reasons for your kids to visit the dentist before school starts.
Summer = freedom. School = schedule.
The days of flexible calendars are coming to an end. Once school starts, your child will have classes most of the day, not to mention sports or other extracurricular activities that can keep them tied up until dinner. Far better and easier to schedule an appointment before all the craziness starts and save yourself the headache of forgetting to have us sign the doctor’s note.
And then there is homework.
Remember that doctor’s note we just talked about? That’s because your child almost certainly has to miss class when they come to an appointment during the school year. Missing class means missing lecture material, having to collect assignments from a classmate, and, possibly worst of all, it means doing the assignment without the valuable opportunity to ask questions of the teacher. Even if you schedule your child’s appointment for after school hours, you’re still cutting into homework time, meaning your student will have to stay up later to complete their assignments, missing out on the sleep that is so crucial to their development.
Kindergarten requirements
Did you know that many school districts require incoming Kindergarten students to have a dental checkup before starting school? Probably best to go over your paperwork one more time to see if that’s in there. And hey, this really is a good practice for students of all ages.
Catch problems early
Many dental problems, like cavities, can be solved before becoming serious if they are caught early enough. Does your child have sealants? Sealants are plastic-like material that is painted on the molars and bicuspids. This helps prevent cavities and is extremely important for school age children to have because they help prevent bacteria from settling in the crevices of the teeth.
Fresh breath
By taking your child in for a dental check up and cleaning, your dentist can make sure there are no infections in the mouth which might cause bad breath. Especially as your child gets older, bad breath can cause some serious social issues, so it’s better to get checked and be sure of making a good first impression.
Tonsils
A dental check up is the perfect time to check a child’s tonsils. If the tonsils become excessively large, they may start to interfere with a child’s sleep. Every parent and teacher can attest to the fact that sleep is essential for children’s good health and ability to learn, let alone their ability to be nice human beings. Additionally, recent studies have shone that a large percentage of children who are being treated for ADHD are actually suffering from sleep deprivation. Since large tonsils can obstruct the airway, resulting in poor sleep or sleep deprivation, it’s definitely best to have them checked before school starts.
Convinced?
Visit our website to schedule an appointment and let our expert and friendly staff help make sure your child will be at their best for the first day of school.