HEALTH

Back-to-School Smiles

Five overlooked oral care tips to include on your child’s end of summer checklist.

By Dr. Gerry Curatola 

  1. Time to get “back on the wagon” with regular dental hygiene.

While dental hygiene can often get overlooked during the lazy, hazy days of summer, part of getting ready for school is to get back into a routine. Reestablish your dental routine by brushing two times a day and flossing at least one time a day.  

  1. Cut down on the back-to-school sugary drinks and snacks.

When getting ready for those back-to-school snacks and lunches, watch out for the hidden sugars in drink boxes and sticky, sugary snacks like fruit roll-ups. We recommend apples, nuts, cheese and plain yogurt.

  1. Drink more water.

Drinking water is not only essential in summer but even more so in the back-to-school season, when school activities, especially outside, can cause dehydration affecting salivary flow, leading to decay and unhealthy plaque. 

  1. Start going to bed earlier.

A good night’s sleep is essential for your overall health, brain health, and your dental health avoiding daytime fatigue, loss of concentration and excess snacking as a stimulus leading to more dental decay. 

  1. Schedule your back-to-school dental checkup and cleaning early.

Schedule a dental check-up and cleaning at least two weeks before school starts. Doing this at the last minute may often not allow for any additional appointments if there is a need for a filling or other treatment. 

Dr. Gerry Curatola is a frequent contributor to Purist and an internationally recognized biologic restorative dentist with more than 40 years of clinical practice experience. He is the founder of Rejuvenation Health, a global health care wellness venture, and Rejuvenation Dentistry, a multispecialty biologic dental practice for adults and children with locations in New York City and East Hampton, established on the principles of bioregulatory health care. Dr. Curatola studied neuroscience at Colgate University and attended dental school at the New York University College of Dentistry, where he now serves as adjunct clinical associate professor in the department of cariology and comprehensive care. He is a fellow of the International College of Dentists, the International Academy of Dentofacial Aesthetics and the American Dental Association. rejuv-health.com