A "Hot" Time to Check Your Teeth

The summer school break is halfway over. If you haven't already scheduled your children for their dental exam this summer you may want to consider the following information.

According to the journal of public health, each year there are 117,000 hours of missed school per 100,000 pupils. A summer dental visit means your child will not have to miss class.

Regular dental visits are important for health reasons, but they also can benefit your fiscal health. Routine dental visits can translate into early detection and less expensive, cost-effective treatment. They also can provide your child with a regular review of effective hygiene practice to avoid dental disease. Postponing dental exams and treatment result in dental disease that is more extensive and therefore more costly.

Scheduling your child now means that if your dentist finds something that requires more than one visit you still have some time before school starts to set up a series of appointments. Not only will you not have the inconvenience of having to go to school to pick up your child and then heading to the dental office, but your child will not have to miss valuable class time. Back to school screenings make sense for all ages, but they are specifically recommended for kindergarten, first, fifth, and eighth grades.

During a back-to-school screening your dentist can conduct a thorough exam and determine your child's individual needs. In addition to an oral cancer screening your dentist will look for tooth decay and gum disease that can effect the permanent teeth that may be erupting soon, evaluate skeletal problems that may effect bites and council your child on preventative care including the best way to prevent oral injuries such as mouth guards if they are involved in sports.