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Family Forum: A Perfect Smile for Back to School

Helping your child maintain healthy teeth is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

When parents think about what their children need for back to school, items such as paper, pens and new shoes are typically what come to mind first. But many dental experts say healthy teeth are just as critical for academic success.

According to Dianne Riter, senior program officer at the Washington Dental Service Foundation, many of our kids will unfortunately go back to school next month with tooth decay.

“Too many children experience tooth decay; in Washington state, nearly 40 percent of children start kindergarten with tooth decay." Riter said. "Yet, it’s a largely preventable disease.”

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Dr. John Liu lives has a pediatric dental practice in Issaquah with Eastside Pediatric Dental Group, where he sees a wide age range of patients from infants to high school students. Liu said parents need to have their child start seeing a dentist early—before their first birthday or after their first tooth erupts.

Liu also recommends parents visit a pediatric dentist, who will have received additional training on working with children. In Redmond, offers a practice specializing in pediatric dentistry at Redmond Pediatric Dentistry.

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Liu said parents should realize the impact that dental wellness can have on overall health, even when it comes to baby teeth.

“If children have cavities in their teeth that go untreated because the assumption is that they are 'baby-teeth' and will be lost anyway, it can lead to infections that can spread to other parts of the body resulting in unnecessary pain and even possible hospitalization for the treatment of the infection," he said.

Liu recommends parents schedule a dental cleaning and exam for their children every six months. Putting off dental visits for your kids can cause more expense and damage in the long run, he said.

Parents can make dental visits less scary by better managing their own anxiety around dental care, Liu said. Parents, he said, are a big part of helping kids establish healthy habits that will serve them for life and should remember to set a good example.

“Parents should let the child see that they brush their teeth on a regular basis to set a good example for the child, ask any visiting grandparents or other family members to let the child see them brushing their teeth, will help the child understand that this is something everyone does," Liu said. "As the child gets older, letting them brush a little first by themselves followed by brushing by the parents will give the child an opportunity to learn and practice how to do it on their own. By the time children can write cursive, they should have the hand dexterity to do a good job on their own.”

Protective mouth gear is a must for kids who play sports, Liu said. Although sports stores sell generic mouth guards, he advises parents consider purchasing a custom one that will have an optimal fit and be more comfortable for the child to wear.

But despite our best efforts, sometimes the worst happens and your child knocks out all or part of a tooth. Then what should we do?

“There is a critical window of time when an 'adult tooth' is knocked out," Liu said.

If the tooth is out of the mouth for more than 30 minutes, the chances of success in reimplanting the tooth begins to drop dramatically, he said. If you are present at the scene of the accident and are able to find the tooth, you should, if you are comfortable, put it right back into the mouth, he said. Don't scrub the tooth; just gently rinse off any debris.

If you are not comfortable putting the tooth back in the mouth, put it into a container with milk and see the dentist as soon as possible.

If the tooth is chipped, depending on how big the chip is, it may be really sensitive and need to have a protective covering put over the chipped portion of the tooth, he said. If the chip is significant, it might be worth looking for the chipped off portion so that it can potentially be re-bonded on to the tooth, he said.

For parents who have put off making regular six month dental cleanings and exams part of their child’s routine, Liu said now is the time to get started.

“By seeing the dentist regularly and practicing some simple preventive habits at home, it will go a long way toward ensuring the child grows up to enjoy a lifetime of healthy teeth," he said. "To quote Ben Franklin, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'”

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