If you’re a parent, you’ve likely started prepping your kids for the coming school year! This task might range from buying supplies to offering guidance on homework. Still, you could do one unique thing to help with future classes: plan a back-to-school dental checkup. School success and good oral health happen to be positively related. As for why that’s the case, the matter is fairly simple. Learn the truth in this summary from your Long Island City dentist.
Oral Health & Academics
For a lot of people, the closest connection between teeth and school is Picture Day. However, the reality is that poor oral health can lower a child’s grades. Kids with dental issues often struggle with exams, don’t learn much in the classroom, and even act out against teachers.
The challenge seems to be that tooth problems are distracting. According to a 2012 Journal of Pediatrics study, children with oral conditions can’t focus well in school. This lack of focus, in turn, leads to failure in coursework and lower grades. Worse yet, severe dental pain can make kids depressed and unmotivated to learn in class.
Improve Grades with a Dentist’s Help
Given the above, have your child attend a dental checkup before classes fully start. A trip to the dentist could be what they need to improve academically.
You see, professional oral care prevents and reduces oral pain. That’s one of its main goals, as it works to detect and fix the underlying mouth problems. Therefore, a dental checkup can give kids healthy, non-distracting smiles. That change would then lead to better concentration and schoolwork.
Practice Better Oral Care at Home
As a parent, you could also help a child’s schooling by improving their home oral care. Examples of the latter include:
- Emphasize Oral Hygiene – If you don’t already, instruct your kids to brush twice daily and floss at least once daily. These habits reduce the risk of cavities, gum disease, and other painful problems.
- Make Their Diet(s) Mouth-Friendly – Since sugar causes tooth decay, try to limit your child’s intake of these sweet carbs. Instead, have their meals include foods with mouth-healthy nutrients. Food groups to consider might be lean proteins, leafy greens, and dairy products.
- Get Involved – To ensure your child takes oral health more seriously, read fun books to them about oral care habits.
As you can see, there’s a good reason school success and good oral health are related. So, make use of that connection and have your child see a dentist soon.
About the Practice
LIC Dental Associates is based in Long Island City, NY. Led by many talented dentists, our practice helps patients of all ages achieve stellar smiles. To that end, we offer the very best in preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services. Our team is also equipped to handle dental emergencies, being ready to perform tooth extractions and even root canal therapy. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (718)-530-6539.