With the school year just around the corner, maintaining proper hygiene with the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic is now more important than ever. Students who are returning to school should be prepared to take additional steps to ensure that they are keeping up with proper dental hygiene. This helpful guide will outline some important dental tips for students who are returning back to school.
Brush Before School
If you do not brush before school already, it is time to make it a habit. If you fail to brush your teeth before you go to school, you are putting your dental hygiene at risk. This is because while you sleep, bacteria and plaque may have started to build up in your mouth. This can cause several dental issues, including bad breath. Now that masks are mandatory in Ontario schools for students between grades 4 to 12, you don’t want to be smelling the odor of your own breath all day. If you avoid brushing your teeth, you will not properly remove plaque buildup from your teeth, putting you at a heightened risk for dental diseases and other issues. Instead, make sure that you brush your teeth each day before you go to school. If you tend to forget, putting a helpful sticky note as a reminder might do the trick.
Bring Floss with You
Throughout the day, students will have the time to eat snacks and lunch. This can mean that at multiple times during the day, food can become lodged in your teeth. This can be very uncomfortable. You will want to avoid putting foreign objects into your mouth to dry to dislodge the particle of food. You will also not want to use your finger to try to get the food out, as this can spread bacteria to your mouth. Instead, you will want to use dental floss to get the food out. A container of dental floss is small and compact, making it easy to put in a pencil pouch or a backpack.
Bring Your Toothbrush with You
Sometimes, dental floss is just not enough. Longer days at school, especially for students who have sports or extracurriculars may not look forward to their mouth feeling dirty. Many students may not want to wait until they get home at the end of a long day in order to brush their teeth. Bringing a travel sized toothbrush to school with you can help you to eliminate this problem. Now, you will not need to wait to brush your teeth and can do so whenever you want. This is especially helpful if you had a meal at school that you noticed has affected your breath or you have noticed a lot of food particles in your teeth. Keeping a travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste is convenient and can help you to maintain proper oral hygiene.
Keep Mouthwash with You
When you think of oral hygiene, your mind probably immediately jumps to brushing your teeth and flossing your teeth. However, another powerful tool in your arsenal against bad breath germs should be mouthwash. Mouthwash only takes a few seconds to use and can make a huge difference in how your mouth feels, as well as kill harmful bacteria. Travel sized mouthwashes are also available, which will be more convenient for a student to use while they are at school.
Get a Back to School Dental Checkup
Before a student goes back to school for the year, they should visit us at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa for a back to school dental checkup. At the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre, located in South Ottawa, we can provide students with a thorough cleaning, checkup, and point out any problem areas. During your appointment you can also be advised on proper oral hygiene and maybe even some things to work on for the next visit. While dental checkups can sometimes be intimidating for students, it is important to remember that they are essential for their oral health.
Going back to school for the year is an exciting time. But, you will want to make sure that you are taking the proper measures to take care of your dental hygiene. The health of your mouth can affect many different areas of your body and it is important to maintain. Schedule an appointment today to help your student feel their best on their first day back at school.
