It’s the first day of school. Your child arrives with a backpack full of supplies and a new outfit. She’s a little anxious about her new classroom. She also is excited to see some friends that she hasn’t seen much during the summer.

But there’s another problem she’s been trying to ignore. She noticed it during breakfast, but she didn’t say anything about it. Her tooth hurt, so she stopped eating. She told people she just wasn’t hungry, hoping that the pain would go away …

That small pain will get worse if it goes untreated. It also could affect her ability to concentrate in class and her performance in school. You want your daughter to get the best education possible, and so does our team at Smiles by Dr. Chai.

This is why we hope you will visit our family dentistry in The Woodlands, TX for a back-to-school dental checkup. If you haven’t already scheduled your appointment, call us today at 281-367-5900.

Healthier Smiles, Better Grades?

Now, we aren’t going to promise that staying cavity-free will make every student into a valedictorian. However, there are reasons to believe the poor oral health can have a negative effect on children’s academic performance.

At the most basic level, dental problems can cause your child to miss days of school. Across the United States, students miss around 51 million hours of instruction annually because of oral health issues, according to the American Dental Association.

Missing class can be a concern in an of itself. Yet, students can have other issues, such as being distracted by a toothache. A recent survey found that around 14 percent of students (ages 6 to 12) reported that they had a toothache in the previous six months. A separate study found that high school students who have oral health issues were four times more likely to have lower grades than their peers.

Start The School Year Right

If your child had a cavity, we would much rather take care of it before classes start again. The only way we can do that is to take a look at your child’s teeth.

During a dental checkup, we’ll look for any signs of trouble. If we see something, we’ll let you know what we recommend. While no one wants a dental filling, this is usually the better option. The alternative is waiting, letting the pain become unbearable, and then getting a root canal treatment.

We think you will agree with us that treating — or better yet preventing — tooth decay is the better option. During your child’s dental cleaning, we will remove tartar and plaque from their teeth. We’ll polish their teeth, too.

And while you are here, ask us about dental sealants and fluoride treatments. Sealants can protect teeth from harmful bacteria. Meanwhile, fluoride can make your teeth stronger and more resistant to decay.

Let’s Start The School Year Right

You want your kids to have healthy smiles. Knowing it could help them stay focused on their education is just one more reason to visit Smiles by Dr. Chai. You can contact our family dentistry by filling out our online form or by calling 281-367-5900.