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Summer may be in full swing, but pretty soon it will be time to start making those back-to-school checklists. It’s important that your son or daughter is up to date on their immunizations, has the right school supplies, and has enough clothes for the new year. But what a lot of parents miss out on is scheduling that biannual checkup with their family dentist. While you’re making a checklist anyway, don’t forget about keeping up with your child’s oral hygiene. Here are 3 reasons to add “seeing the dentist” to that list.

1. Get Teeth Nice and Clean

Not many people love going to the dentist, but everyone likes that clean mouth feeling they get afterward. At your regular checkup, your dental hygienist will use special tools to remove plaque and tartar from your little one’s teeth that, when left behind, could cause cavities or gum disease. That’s what makes your mouth feel so clean! In addition, your hygienist will use a special whitening paste to make your kid’s smile shine a little brighter. Just in time for yearbook pictures!

2. Fight Cavities

Sometimes little kids have a hard time reaching to brush the teeth in the back of their mouths. Unfortunately, bits of food and bacteria can get caught in the nooks and crannies of their molars and cause cavities. This is where a dental visit comes in handy. Your dentist can apply what’s called dental sealants to the grooves of your child’s molars. Sealants are essentially a thin plastic-like coating that is painted onto the chewing surfaces of the teeth to protect them from decay. Many dentists recommend that your child get sealants as soon as their molars start to erupt around age six, but don’t worry. There is no upper age limit to getting sealants.

3. Protect Teeth from Sports Injuries

The beginning of the school year is a great time for your son or daughter to try out for sports. It’s also a good time to make sure their little smile is protected with a mouthguard. You could always buy a cheap generic mouthguard from a pharmacy or sporting goods store, but they won’t really fit like one custom made from your family dentist would. It will do a much better job of protecting your child’s precious grin.

Any time of year is great for your little one’s dental checkup, but why not add it to your back-to-school list?

About the Author

Dr. Benjamin Naylor is a graduate of Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine. As a family man himself, he loves being able to treat patients from multiple generations of the same family and building relationships with them at Mountain Stream Dental in Springfield, OR. To book your little one’s back-to-school appointment, you can contact Dr. Naylor at (541)-345-5363.