The hustle and bustle of the school year can disrupt excellent oral care routines you helped establish while your kids spent the leisurely summer months at home. An unmitigated change in diet, interruption to daily care habits and marked increase in physical activity can all take a tremendous toll on the health of your children’s teeth. Thankfully, you can actively help your kids maintain their great oral health at school with the four following tips and tricks.

Bring Along Healthy Snacks

Help your kids skip the junk in favor of healthy snacks that offer a boost in energy midday while keeping teeth and gums in pristine condition. Pack up a healthy snack of baby carrots, celery, string cheese, strawberries or whole-grain pretzels before each school day to ensure your kids can resist the urge to eat junk food on the go. Provide a similarly healthy snack after school as well to help keep your children’s teeth and gums in perfect condition year-round.

Drink Lots of Water

Sipping water throughout the day helps clear away lingering food debris and hydrates gum tissue to keep teeth clean and healthy. You can encourage your children to boost their water intake by sending them to school with a water bottle of their choosing. As they show off the designs and characters on their water bottle, they will be reminded to increase their water consumption throughout the school day. If your child balks at the thought of drinking plain water, you can add a sugar-free flavor enhancer or a splash of lemon juice as a little extra incentive.

Take Flossers to Go

Slip some flossers in your child’s backpack and remind them to use them after eating breakfast, lunch and snacks while at school. The floss can quickly clear away food debris that would otherwise stay between the teeth and feed harmful bacteria through the day. Choose flossers with fun shapes and designs to improve the chance of your child using them while at school. Encourage your child to rinse with water after flossing to clear away loosened debris and finish the tooth cleaning process.

Wear a Mouthguard During Physical Activities

Dental trauma, as occurs during an impact by a ball or another student, has the potential to cause tooth and gum problems well down the line. This type of trauma can happen at any point while participating in physical education classes and afterschool sports activities. Therefore, it is important to send your child with a mouthguard and stress the importance of wearing it during PE and while playing sports. You can acquire a mouthguard over the counter at your local pharmacy or have your children’s dentist create a custom device during an office visit.

Schedule Your Next Children’s Dentist Visit

As your child performs the four actions above, the results will surely show at their six-month dental examination and cleaning appointments. If your child is due for a cleaning or simply needs care from a children’s dentist, call Nia Pediatric Dentistry at (770) 800-8986 to schedule an appointment. Your children’s dentist will help your kids keep their teeth clean and healthy through the years.