Back to school dentist tips

To ensure your child's pearly whites stay healthy this new school year, here's a few handy tips from Dr Rachael Frazer, Frazer Dental, Implants & Orthodontics in Kingscourt...

Schedule a visit to the dentist/orthodontist - this will ensure no dental issues arise during the busy school year. If you are concerned about how your child's teeth are developing, we may recommend an early assessment with our orthodontist around age eight to nine years.

Get a custom mouthguard if playing sports - your dentist can fit you with a well fitting mouthguard to prevent injuries, you will be relieved to know that your child’s teeth are protected if they are involved in contact sports and a dentist made gumshield is the most comfortable option.

Consider seals - these coatings are easily placed by your dentist on the molar teeth and prevent cavities from the age of six years upwards. These are an easy treatment to provide and give great peace of mind if your little one has a sweet tooth.

AT HOME

Brush, spit out but don’t rinse out! - Encourage your little one’s to brush well but to not rinse out the fluoride toothpaste afterwards with water. This will help keep the protective fluoride on their teeth and means that mouthwash after brushing is not needed.

Supervise brushing – we recommend supervising the brushing until your child is doing good joined handwriting (approximatey age eight to nine years) .

Start flossing – we recommend flossing aids from the age of eight years also, as the new adult teeth are usually coming through well at this stage. Floss picks such as the ones by Spotlight are great for children’s and adult flossing alike.

SMART LUNCHBOX CHOICES

Choose tooth friendly snacks – carrot sticks, mini cucumbers, cheese, fresh fruits, nuts, popcorn.

Yoghurts can be a source of hidden sugars - but there are some yoghurts which are less sugary than others. Always check the ingredients label. Killowen and Glenisk brands are generally good yoghurt options for your child’s lunch box.

Encourage water - Water is the best drink to protect your teeth.

Not only does it have the ability to wash food off your teeth and neutralise acids but, if it’s tap water, it will contain fluoride too, which has further protective benefits.

Milk drinking - Milk with meals is great but, as milk contains its own natural sugars, we usually recommend it with meals only. It is best to have a bottle of water on their desk too for sipping during class and keep the milk for meal times.

Limit sugary and acidic foods - try to give these all at one time in the day, so have all treats at the same time!

Your mouth can recover well from one sugar attack per day but, if there are several sugar or acid attacks at separate times in the day, this will lead to decay.

For example, eat the bag of sweets at the one time, rather than snacking on it throughout the day! Encourage water drinking straight after the treat as this is a great way of restoring the mouth’s natural Ph balance.

ABOUT FRAZER DENTAL

Frazer Dental, Implants & Orthodontics is an award-winning dental and orthodontic practice for the whole family in Kingscourt.

If you have any dental emergencies, we guarantee to see all emergencies same day - Monday to Saturday - so get in touch for some advice.