Summer will soon be coming to an end and a new school year is just around the corner! With that in mind our team at Southwest Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and Southwest Adult Dentistry thought it would be nice to share some tips and ideas to get the most out of your school year.
With the start of the school season also comes the start of football! If you, or any of your loved ones are going to be competing in any contact sports this year you might want to think about getting a custom fitted mouth guard. Here at Southwest Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and Southwest Adult Dentistry we can make a mouth guard that is custom fit using a mold of your teeth. This gives you both optimal protection and comfort while wearing your mouthguard and playing sports. In some cases we may recommend a simple mouth guard that allows you to customize its fit using the “boil and bite” method. This is done by heating up the mouth guard in hot water until it is soft and then placing the mouth guard on your upper teeth and pressing with your tongue and fingers. Also, if you have braces, make sure to buy a mouth guard designed to accommodate them. Usually, this means that there is extra protection for the top and bottom teeth, protecting your lips from the brackets. Mouth guards are important during any physical activity because they minimize the risk of damaging your lips tongue or any other soft tissue during physical activity and also help avoid chipped or broken teeth.
Now is also a great time to come in for an orthodontic consultation if you or a family member might think they need braces. Since every case is unique, it is a good idea to get a consultation around age seven, and begin treatment shortly after all of the baby teeth have fallen out. Sooner is also always better than later when it comes to orthodontic treatments because the bones in the face and jaw are still developing. The beginning of the school year is a great time to start getting braces; Dr. Urbaniak will be able to give you a more specific estimate, but you could potentially be done by the by the beginning of next school year! It also gives you a good benchmark to track your treatment as the school year and your treatment progresses.
With the beginning of any school year it is also important to get back into the rhythm with some good habits like waking up on time, brushing, and flossing when you wake up every day. If you already have braces, make sure to get in between your wires and brackets to remove any plaque build up in those hard to reach places. Some other good habits to build before school starts are planning your day the night before, packing healthy lunches, and double-checking that homework is complete. Also, to help with organization it is a great idea to have binders dedicated to each class with separate areas for homework, tests and quizzes, and other assignments. This will help you when you need to study or even just keep track of what you need to do throughout the year to keep on track.
At Southwest Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and Southwest Adult Dentistry we hope you have a successful and safe school year. Don’t forget to schedule an appointment and stop by for a new mouth guard or any of you orthodontic and dentistry needs. Good luck!