At our pediatric dental office in Long Island, we believe preventive dentistry is the best way to protect kids’ growing smiles. That’s one reason why we always recommend that they come see us at least every six months — plus, we just love when they visit! It’s also a smart idea to have your children get a dental checkup before they head back to school. Why? We’re glad you asked!
Keeping regular appointments with your pediatric dentist in Long Island is great for the prevention of oral health problems, but these visits are also an important part of keeping kids healthy overall. Some whole-body concerns that have been linked to poor oral health include:
Seeing the dentist bi-annually allows your dental team to catch and treat any oral health problems early, before they can affect the rest of the body.
In order to get the best education possible, kids have to be in class. But as we all know, things happen. Kids get sick, and the common cold and flu can keep kids out of the classroom and away from learning. However, dental problems are also a common reason for absence. According to the American Journal of Public Health Dentistry, on average, kids miss about six days of school per year. Of those six days, two are due to some type of dental issue. You can decrease your child’s likelihood of needing to be absent because of an oral health problem by having a checkup before school starts to ensure everything is in tip-top shape.
If kids are missing school due to a dental problem, they aren’t able to learn that day’s lessons and can get behind. This may make tests more challenging and grades can be affected. But even if kids are attending class while they’re experiencing a dental problem, they may still be at a disadvantage. It’s easy to be distracted when we experience pain, and a toothache is no different. Distracted learning could certainly have a negative effect on kids’ grades.
Getting a back to school dental checkup is a great way to check for any potential oral health problems that could keep kids out of class and potentially lead to other whole-body concerns.
Start the school year off on the right foot, schedule an appointment with our Long Island pediatric dental office today!
