4 Reasons Why Kids Need Back to School Dental Checkups

Frisco TX Dentist Shares Back to School Dental Health Message

Parents across Collin & Denton counties – & all over the country – are gearing up for a new school year, did you really think Summer would last forever?

Sure, strolling the isles for school supplies and shopping for clothes is something parents need to do, however begrudgingly that may be accomplished.

But to best prepare your children’s smile for the new school year, Dr. Alapati strongly recommends scheduling your back to school dental checkup, teeth cleaning, & dental exam for your child before their schedules become chock full of homework, after school sports and other activities.

Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that parents make their children’s dental exams & checkups a regular part of their back-to-school routine.

4 Reasons Why Children Need Back to School Dental Checkups, Cleanings, & Exams

1. Dental Health Issues = More Missed School

Did you know that…

More than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental-related illnesses? (Source: Academy of General Dentistry)
Children’s tooth decay, is the #1 chronic childhood disease?
Pediatric dental disease is 7 times more common than hay fever and 5 times more common than asthma.

In addition, data from the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported that over 19% of children ages 2-19 have untreated cavities.

2. Oral Health = Overall Health, for You & Your Child

If left untreated, childhood tooth decay can have overall health consequences beyond what your dentist sees during a normal exam, checkup & cleaning.

Untreated tooth decay can lead to nutrition concerns and even bacterial infections. Then the pain and infection from decayed teeth and/or gum disease can lead to further problems eating, speaking, and concentrating in school.

According to this CBS news article, children in the Los Angeles School District who had tooth pain were 4x more likely to have a grade point average below the median GPA of 2.8.

3. Regular Dental Visits = Early Treatment & Less Money on Dental Care

As a normal part of any dental checkup, exam, & teeth cleaning, your child’s teeth are examined for any potential issues.

If your dentist does see indication of decay or disease, and if it’s caught early enough, it may not only prevent your child from missing school because of a tooth ache, but it will save parents money in the long-run by avoiding more in-depth care that comes at a greater cost.

Preventative dentistry & early detection also almost always means less costly treatment plans.

4. A Custom-Fit Mouth Guard = The Best Protection

Injuries to the teeth & soft tissue in and around the mouth are some of the most common in kid’s athletics.

It is estimated by the American Dental Association that mouth guards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone.

And as you can read on this post,“Basketball and baseball are the two biggest mouth-injuring sports,” says Stephen Mitchell, D.M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

“And the most common injuries we see are broken, displaced or knocked out teeth, and broken jaws.”

Parents can certainly elect to “go the cheap route” and purchase a stock sports mouth guard at virtually any sporting goods store, but that’s not the wisest decision.

Those store-bought pieces of junk are not custom fitted to your child’s teeth & bite by your dentist – and therefore they DO NOT offer the best protection against orofacial injury for your child.

Your Frisco TX dentist can provide a custom-fit sports mouth guard that is designed specifically for your child’s mouth.

A custom-fit mouth guard may cost more than an off the shelf store-bought one, but custom-fit will provide superior protection against injury – and against expensive emergency dentistry treatment.

Do your children, your wallet & your piece of mind right this back to school season, in addition to the Trapper Keepers, book bags, & lunch boxes, be sure to schedule a dental exam checkup & teeth cleaning for your child before the hectic rush starts all over again.

Do you remember the Trapper Keeper?

Frisco TX Kids Dentist: New Smiles Dental Excellence of Frisco by Manjula Alapati, D.D.S.

We gladly welcome children of all ages, our patient’s comfort is a primary concern. We proudly provide quality Family Dentistry to Frisco, Plano, and the surrounding Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex communities in Collin & Denton counties, and beyond.

We offer the most advanced technology in a comfortable, inviting, kid-friendly environment.

Frisco Dentist for the Entire Family

Dr. Alapati is offering new patients significant savings here in Frisco and the surrounding Denton & Collin county areas.

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