As school is now back in full swing, daily life might be getting a little busier around your home. As far as dental care and healthy braces are concerned, a major change for your child might be what they are eating every day at school and at home. If your child has braces, it is even more important to monitor what your kids are eating and make sure that they aren’t having things that could damage their braces or negatively impact their dental health. In today’s blog, Dr. Harrison and his team will take a look at some things that you can do as a parent to keep your child’s braces healthy during the school year.
Meal Planning
The biggest diet change for students during the new school year is with their lunches. Breakfast might change a little bit due to busy mornings, but the big change is likely to be school lunches. Depending on the lunch the school is providing on that particular day, you may want to plan ahead and pack a lunch from home. This will help keep your child’s smile healthy and protect their braces.
Consult with the school lunch schedule to check for things like corn on the cob or hard shell tacos, and other foods that can damage braces. For those days, consider packing a lunch for your child as an alternative to what the school is serving that day. If the school offers soda, Dr. Harrison suggests that you let children know they should not be drinking it with their lunches.
Communicate With The School
Aside from school lunches, snacks can also be a problem for younger students. Make sure to be in contact with your child’s teachers and let them know what foods they can and cannot have. For instance, if your child’s teacher plans on offering popcorn for a movie day, they should know that Dr. Harrison recommends your student not eat that snack with their braces. Or, if the teacher gives out candy, let them know that your child cannot eat sticky candy, hard candy, or gum with their braces.
Related Post: Dr. Steven Harrison: Simple Advice For Wearing Braces
Don’t Let Being Busy Lead to Big Problems
Even though life is likely to get busier and busier, it is important to keep active with the dental hygiene habits in your family. Little things can add up quickly, and it’s always better to prevent dental problems before they start than to treat them after they have happened. So even if you’re running late before school, take a couple minutes to make sure that everyone has brushed their teeth properly. If your child plays after-school sports but forgot their mouthguard before practice, take the extra time to swing by school and drop off their protective equipment. Little details like this will prevent big problems later.
Contact Dr. Harrison For More Tips On Braces
It can be difficult to stay on top of everything you have to do during busy times in the year, but it is still important to take care of the healthy smiles of your family, especially when they have braces. For more information and helpful tips from Dr. Harrison, give Parkcrest Dental a call at (417) 887-1220 or contact us online.
