The backpacks are packed and school supplies are ready. As your family gets back into the school-year routine, don’t forget one important part of your child’s back-to-school checklist: a healthy smile!
A few simple habits can go a long way toward supporting your child’s oral health throughout the school year. From choosing tooth-friendly snacks to remembering their dental checkup, these back-to-school dental tips can help your child start the year with a healthy, happy smile.
TL;DR: Back-to-School Dental Checklist
Help your child start the school year with a healthy smile by checking these simple habits off your list:
[ ] Schedule a regular dental checkup
[ ] Replace your child’s toothbrush if it’s worn or due for a new one
[ ] Pack tooth-friendly lunches and snacks
[ ] Choose water instead of sugary drinks
[ ] Make sure your child has a properly fitted mouthguard for sports
[ ] Get back into a consistent morning and bedtime brushing routine
[ ] Know what to do if your child experiences a dental injury
A few simple habits can go a long way toward supporting your child’s oral health throughout the school year.
1. Schedule Your Child’s Dental Checkup
The beginning of a new school year is a great time to make sure your child is up to date on their regular dental visits.
Routine dental exams and cleanings allow your pediatric dentist to check for cavities, monitor your child’s growing smile, clean away plaque and buildup, and spot potential problems before they become bigger ones.
Regular dental visits are important for baby teeth, too. Even though those teeth eventually fall out, they help children eat, speak, and hold space for their permanent teeth.
If your child has a dental appointment coming up, there’s no need to make it a big deal. Talk about the visit in a positive way and let your child know that our team will explain what we’re doing along the way. At Kids Smiles, we use a “tell, show, do” approach to help children understand and feel comfortable with their dental care.
2. Start the School Year With a Fresh Toothbrush
A new school year can be a fun excuse for a fresh toothbrush!
Children should generally replace their toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, or sooner if the bristles become worn or frayed. If your child has been sick or their toothbrush is looking a little worse for wear, it may be time for a new one.
Let your child have some say in the process. Picking out a toothbrush with their favorite color or character can make brushing feel a little more exciting.
Just remember: a fun toothbrush still needs to do its job! Look for a soft-bristled toothbrush that is the right size for your child’s mouth.
3. Pack a Tooth-Friendly Lunch
A healthy school lunch can help fuel your child for the day—and give their teeth something to smile about, too.
When packing lunch, aim for a balanced mix of nutritious foods, such as:
- Cheese or yogurt
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Whole-grain foods
- Lean proteins
- Nuts or seeds when appropriate for your child and school’s allergy policies
You don’t have to make every lunch perfect. The goal is to give your child a variety of nutritious foods while limiting foods and drinks with lots of added sugar.
And if your child comes home with an untouched lunch because they traded their carrots for a friend’s cookies? Just keep offering healthy choices and do your best to make nutritious foods the norm.
4. Pack Water Instead of Sugary Drinks
A refillable water bottle belongs on every school supply list.
Water helps keep your child hydrated and is a much better everyday choice for their teeth than sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks, or sweetened teas.
If your child is more excited about drinking from a water bottle they picked out themselves, let them choose one they love. Sometimes making the healthy choice fun is half the battle!
For children who aren’t big fans of plain water, encourage them to take small sips throughout the day and keep a refillable water bottle within reach. The goal is to make water an easy, everyday part of your child’s routine.
5. Make Mouthguards Part of the Sports Gear
Is your child heading back to soccer, football, basketball, hockey, or another sport this fall? Don’t forget their mouthguard!
A properly fitted mouthguard helps protect the teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue during sports and can help reduce the risk of dental injuries.
Before the season gets busy, make sure your child’s mouthguard fits properly and is in good condition. If it is uncomfortable, damaged, or your child has trouble keeping it in place, talk with your pediatric dentist about whether a different type of mouthguard may be a better fit.
A mouthguard may not be the coolest piece of sports equipment—but it can help keep a trip to the dentist from becoming an unexpected part of the season.
6. Choose Tooth-Friendly Snacks
Kids love to snack. That’s just a fact.
When it comes to your child’s teeth, what they snack on—and how often they snack—both matter. Frequent snacking can give teeth repeated exposure to carbohydrates and sugars, which can contribute to cavities. When possible, choose nutritious snacks that are lower in added sugar and try to avoid letting your child graze on sugary or starchy foods throughout the day.
Some easy options include:
- Apple or pear slices
- Carrots or other crunchy vegetables
- Cheese
- Plain or low-sugar yogurt
- Nuts or seeds, when appropriate
- Whole-grain crackers
Sticky, sugary snacks can cling to teeth and give cavity-causing bacteria more sugar to work with. That doesn’t mean your child can never enjoy a cookie or other treat. It’s all about balance and building everyday habits that support good children’s oral health.
7. Get Back Into a Morning and Bedtime Routine
Summer schedules can be pretty relaxed. School mornings? Not so much.
Getting your child’s brushing routine back on track before school starts can make those busy mornings a little easier.
Children should brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Depending on your child’s age and brushing skills, they may still need a parent to help or supervise brushing to make sure all those hard-to-reach spots get cleaned.
Don’t forget about bedtime. Brushing before bed is especially important because it removes food particles and plaque that have built up throughout the day.
Try making brushing part of the same routine every morning and night—after breakfast and before bed, for example. When it becomes automatic, there’s less negotiating involved.
And yes, sometimes parents have to be the brushing coach. Your child’s smile will thank you later!
8. Know What to Do If a Tooth Is Injured at School
Kids run, jump, play sports, and occasionally take an unexpected tumble. Dental injuries can happen, even when everyone is being careful.
If your child chips, cracks, loosens, or knocks out a tooth at school, contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible for guidance. A knocked-out permanent tooth is a dental emergency, so don’t wait to see if it feels better on its own.
It can also help to make sure your child’s school has your current contact information and knows who to call if a dental injury occurs.
And remind your child that if something happens to their teeth, they should tell a teacher, coach, school nurse, or another trusted adult right away. They won’t be in trouble—we just want to know what happened so they can get the right help.
Keep Your Child’s Smile on the School-Year Checklist
Back-to-school season comes with plenty of things for parents to remember. Thankfully, supporting your child’s oral health doesn’t have to be complicated.
A regular dental checkup, a fresh toothbrush, nutritious snacks, plenty of water, a good brushing routine, and the right protection for sports can all help your child’s smile stay on track throughout the year.
At Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we’re here to help make dental care a positive part of your child’s routine. Our pediatric dental team provides kinder, gentler care for kids and teens, and we explain dental care in kid-friendly terms so children know what to expect. We also encourage parents to stay involved and ask questions along the way.
If your child is due for a checkup, we’d love to see you!
Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry has five convenient locations serving families in Town ‘n’ Country, South Tampa, North Tampa, East Bradenton, and Wesley Chapel.