It won’t be long now. Your mornings and afternoons will become more hectic when you need to hustle kids to school or the bus stop and shuttle them back and forth to practices after school.
Before the hustle and bustle begin again, it would be a great idea to schedule dental checkups at our family dental office in Charlotte, NC.
Did you know that kids miss 51 million hours of school each year due to oral health problems? Keeping your kids cavity-free just might help them stay in the classroom.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a short checklist of our own to help you and your family get ready for the upcoming school year. The good news is you can complete all the tasks by visiting McNulty & Dancausse General Dentistry. Call us today at 704-766-8662 to make your appointment.
□ Get Dental Cleanings & Exams
Preventive care is your best defense against cavity-causing bacteria. Daily brushing and flossing can go a long way, but none of us are perfect every time during our daily hygiene.
And you probably know that your kids might not always brush and floss as well as they should. That makes professionals cleanings a couple times a year even more important.
A member of our team will remove plaque and tartar buildup. This can help prevent tooth decay before it turns into a cavity or, worse, a tooth infection.
We also will conduct a thorough exam. If cavities have started to form or a gum infection is developing, we want to take action as early as possible to treat it. You and your child would prefer a filling today to a severe toothache in a few months.
□ Get Dental Sealants
Half of the children in the United States will have at least one cavity by the time they celebrate their 11th birthday. Molars are the teeth most likely to develop decay. These are the larger teeth in the back of the mouth used to grind and chew food.
Knowing this, you also may want to know that sealants can reduce your kids’ risk of getting cavities in those teeth by 80 percent. If bacteria were rain, then sealants would be raincoats for your teeth.
Sealants are an inexpensive way to add a little extra protection for your kids’ smiles. (For what it’s worth, they work for adults as well.) Sealants and safe, and they don’t affect the appearance or the function of your teeth.
□ Get Fluoride Treatments
If you want to get stronger, you can lift weights. To make your family’s teeth stronger, you can apply fluoride.
This is a mineral, and it can play an important role in helping your teeth stay healthy. Decay is the result of a process that slowly damages the enamel (the outer layer) of your teeth. The technical name for this is demineralization.
Fluoride is a mineral. When it’s applied to your teeth, it can remineralize them. This can repair minor damage and make teeth more resistant to the bacteria that cause cavities.
□ Get Mouthguards
In our previous post, we mentioned that custom-fitted athletic mouthguards offer the best protection against dental injuries. If anyone in your family will be suiting up to represent their school this fall, it’s better to make sure they have their mouthguard before the games begin.
Be Ready for Picture Day!
Schedule a dental checkup today to start the school year right! After all, you want your kids to smile when picture day arrives.
To request an appointment at McNulty & Dancausse General Dentistry, call 704-766-8662 or contact us online.