The start of the 2020-21 school year is just around the corner, and hopefully, classes will be more like what we were used to before the pandemic.

Knowing that most kids will be back in the classroom on the first day of school, you don’t want anything to distract from your children’s education. You can’t control everything, but you can make sure your kids have the supplies that they need.

You also don’t want health issues to interfere with your child’s educational time. That includes oral health. With that in mind, you should make a dental cleaning and exam part of your back-to-school preparation.

If you haven’t made appointments for your family yet, call 310-982-6333 now to plan your visit to Shook Dental Care in San Pedro, CA.

Healthy Smiles are Better for Learning

To get the maximum benefit of education, your kids need to be in school. We all understand that illnesses are a part of childhood, so missing a day of school here and there won’t make a huge difference. However, extensive time away from school can affect your children’s success.

Tooth decay can lead to cavities, toothaches, and tooth infections. Any of those problems could create a distraction for a child trying to focus on their day’s lessons or their homework assignments. It also can mean more time out of school if you need to schedule emergency dental appointments.

So, how common are cavities? According to the Centers for Disease Control:

  • Nearly 20 percent of children aged 5 to 11 years have at least one untreated cavity
  • 13 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds have at least one untreated cavity
  • Children between the ages of 5 and 19 years from low-income families are twice as likely compared with children from higher-income households

Regardless of your family’s financial situation, preventive dental care is less costly than emergency and restorative care. By getting a dental checkup today, you could be saving yourself both time and money along with your children’s healthy smiles.

Set the Stage for Success

Again, you can’t control everything, but you can take action to reduce your kids’ risk of oral health problems.

This starts with encouraging good habits at home. For your younger children, you may need to oversea their brushing and flossing to make sure they do it correctly. As kids get older, you will likely still need to remind them to brush and floss as often as they should, but they should know what they need to do.

Next, visit us regularly for professional cleanings and exams. Even if your kids are brushing and flossing as often as they should, they may not brushing and floss as well as they should. This can lead to plaque and tartar buildup. A dental cleaning will remove this buildup, while an exam can identify problems in the early stages so they can be treated easily.

While you are here, you can take advantage of other preventive services as well:

  • Dental sealants
  • Fluoride treatments
  • Custom-made athletic mouthguards

See Us Soon

As you are checking items off your back-to-school list, make sure you include a dental cleaning with us. Call Shook Dental Care today at 310-982-6333 or fill out our online form to request an appointment in San Pedro, CA.