What are the Best Oral Health Practices I Can Apply at School?

It may not be a big deal but putting an apple rather than a sugary snack in your child’s snack box can help improve his dental health and his performance at school. After all, kids consume more than 20 percent of their meals at school. Here at Mint Kids Dentistry, we remind parents to make better decisions when preparing your child’s school lunch.

Excessive consumption of sugar can harm your child’s oral and general health. Cookies, chewy fruit snacks and candies interact with bacteria in the plaque. The plaque forms at the surface of your teeth and in between your gums and teeth, generating acid that can erode enamel and cause tooth decay. Although sweets can give short-lived energy on your kids, such sugar rush turns into a crash, leaving kids feeling sleepy and lethargic. This isn’t the kind of mental state children need when preparing for an afternoon class.

Mint Kids Dentistry recommends these oral health practices for school.

1.       After taking breakfast and before leaving for school, be sure your child brushes well using a fluoridated toothpaste. Brushing immediately after a smell will clean the teeth and gums and get rid of halitosis or bad breath.

2.       Pack healthy and nutritious lunch food and snacks in your child’s lunch box. These include lean meats, low-fat yogurt, whole grain breads, baked chips, whole-grain crackers, apples and carrots. Aside from being full of nutrients, certain veggies and fruits can help clean the teeth and gums. Just make sweet treats a treat. Cakes, cookies, bars and sugary snacks should only be given in moderation.

3.       If your child likes to chew gum and the school permits it, chewing sugar-free gum for several minutes during lunchtime, before the afternoon classes. This will help stimulate secretion of saliva to neutralize the acid and help remove food residue from the mouth. Chewing gum that contains the natural sweetener Xylitol is a good choice since based on studies, it has been shown that consistent exposure to Xylitol can help fight cavity-causing bacteria.

4.       Kids wearing braces must rinse or try to brush their teeth after taking lunch. Children wearing removable retainers should also clean their teeth and retainers after every meal.

5.       Before the school year begins, parents must schedule visit to their kids’ pediatric dentist to ensure that there are no dental issues to distract their children throughout the school year. You may ask the dentist on sealants as a way to prevent any tooth cavities from developing. Sealants are thin coating of bonding material that is applied over the molar teeth, acting as a barrier to cavity-causing bacteria.

How to Promote Good-at-School Dental Habits

Most parents are very good in providing their children dental care at home. We write notes on dental appointments, limit intake of sugary foods like candies and make reminder charts to remind them to brush and floss. But most children spend most of their waking hours away from home, from their mom and dad.

Below are some simple means in which to encourage proper dental hygiene of children while at school.

Employ changes in their snack

Most schools nowadays have snack counters and vending machines that are available to school children during snack time, lunch and after school. Because of this, your kids have access to candies, soda, ice cream, chips and other unhealthy foods every single day. Do some changes on their snack selection by providing healthier options such as orange slices, apple, bottled water and string cheese. This will help your child’s general health, particularly dental health.  

Create a healthy lunch

It’s good for your child to send him off with a lunch full of healthy foods that can help strengthen the teeth. Cheese and yogurt are rich in calcium, which is great for strong bones and teeth. Fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins are good for promoting healthy mouth. Crunchy food such as celery, apples and carrots can help remove plaque.

Protest sugary beverages

You can petition to get sugary beverages such as soda be removed from school vending machines. Aside from coating your child’s teeth with sugar to feed on bacteria, these sugary drinks can also cause staining of the teeth. Milk and bottled water are good options for bright, healthy smile.

Encourage brushing

Tooth brushing and flossing should not only be done at home. To encourage brushing, you can talk to your child’s teacher on allotting time for the entire class to brush their teeth after taking their lunch. You can also ask your local dentists to donate brushes, floss, mouthwash and toothpaste and talk in front of the class to raise awareness on the significance of proper dental care.

See the Emergency Contact Information

Don’t forget to check the school’s contact information regarding the record of their school dentist. Make sure they are up-to-date just in case a dental emergency happens during the day.

Children’s dental care is very important regardless on their whereabouts. Teach them the benefits of taking care of their teeth and mouth while they’re away from home to ensure that all your efforts are not being wasted when the kids are at school or away from you.