With the school year just around the corner, it’s incredibly important that your child is prepared. Getting all their school supplies ready, buying new clothes and getting their sleep schedule on track all matter, but when was the last time you scheduled a visit to their dentist in Huber Heights?
Getting them scheduled now not only makes future visits easier, but ensures that their oral health is in good condition and ready for the school year.
Perfect Timing for Future Visits
The American Dental Association recommends that patients visit their dentist once every six months. Biannual visits are sufficient enough to keep their oral health protected and are meant to act as a preventive measure for dental disease. Scheduling before school starts is much easier to do compared to scheduling when:
- Many other parents are scheduling during the school year
- Your child isn’t nearly as available, both during and after the school day
- You need to juggle your own work, errands and house responsibilities simultaneously
By scheduling in the July and August months, you don’t just make this initial visit easier either. The next time they’re off of school is during their winter break, which is approximately six months away from this initial visit. That means their second visit will be easier to attend and they’ll meet the ADA’s recommendation of biannual visits.
Helping Your Child Stay Prepared
If you’ve ever had tooth problems, either as a child or an adult, you probably recall how difficult it was to concentrate on your work. Imagine your child can’t do well in school because they have tooth or jaw pain due to missing preventive dental visits. To ensure they’re as successful as possible, both academically and socially, you need to keep their oral health in check.
Additionally, visiting the dentist isn’t only about cleanings. It’s also a chance to discuss what you can do to improve their at-home care and whether preventive treatments like fluoride varnishes and dental sealants are necessary.
Setting a Good Example for Their Oral Health
Children are far more likely to visit the dentist later in life if they understand the importance of routine visits at a young age. A great way to set a good example is to schedule your dental visits right alongside theirs, which family dentists are used to accommodating for. Once your child moves out and has to start scheduling doctor visits on their own, this will become very important.
You also don’t want your child to perceive the dentist as something to fear, which can be easy to do if you never visited as a child. To reduce dental anxiety and fear later in life, you’ll need to start bringing them at an early age.
Preventive visits are the best way to protect your child’s oral development for years to come, even after they become adults. Schedule a visit with a Huber Heights dentist today!
About the Author
Dr. James A. Striebel earned his DDS degree from the Case Western Reserve Dental School. As a family dentist, he understands the importance of maintaining routine checkups, staying on top of their oral development, and making dental care fun! To learn more about his practice, contact him through his website.