It’s that hectic time of year again where getting back into the swing of things can be easier said than done. Follow the tips below to help your kids start the school year off strong! 1- Visit Your Pediatric Dentist Every Six Months On average, students miss more than 51 million school hours each year because of dental problems or related conditions. To avoid your kids missing school, make sure that they brush and floss regularly and visit their pediatric dentist every six months for a check-up. Pediatric dentists are trained to make your child’s first dental positive and friendly for a life time! Visiting the dentist regularly can help prevent cavities and reinforce good dental hygiene practices. 2- Pack a Lunch that Will Guarantee a Brighter and Healthier Smile To make the most of your kid’s packed lunch, make sure to limit the number of sweets in order to prevent cavities from forming. Add in sweet treats such as apples, strawberries, pears and other fruits. To make fruits and veggies more appetizing for young kids, try cutting the fruits into fun shapes to make eating healthy more fun! Also, pack some cheese! Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for little teeth. It provides calcium and disrupts the development of cavities. Whole grain-based bread and snacks are also a great addition to keep up the healthy work. And as always, try to encourage kids to drink plenty of water instead of sports drinks, soda and juices. To help encourage that habit, try letting kids pick out their own water bottle in order to make them more inclined to bring it everywhere they go. 3- Crush the Brush Each Morning and Night It’s important for your kids to get in to a routine regarding their oral health. Brushing two times a day for two minutes, and flossing twice a day is a must for a happy mouth. If your kids are less than enthused by the idea of brushing and flossing, try to get them more into it by using a weekly checklist with a reward at the end of the week for following their routine. Another way to make it fun is by creating a brushtime playlist to jam out and brush to with all of the family during brushtime. Oral health is important for everyone, but it can be made fun. Healthy Teeth are Happy Teeth 🙂 Dr. Rafifi Tayara is giving all DubaiMums readers and followers a FREE consultation and 20% off on the kids medical treatments. Check the Mums Discounts page for details. About Dr. Rafif Tayara Dr. Rafif Tayara is a Specialist Pediatric Dentist with extensive experience in relation to dental care for infants, children and adolescents. Her field of expertise encompasses the management of patients with behavioral problems and special needs. She is extremely passionate about providing oral health education through positive and painless dental experiences. “I believe achieving these goals starts with building a strong relationship between the child, parent and dentist.” Prior to joining Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic, Dr. Rafif worked as a Pediatric Dentist in Doha, Qatar. From 2014 till date, she has helped establish and co-found the Pediatric Oral Health Education Team in New York City. The initiative strives towards raising oral health awareness among all healthcare professionals. She speaks English, Arabic, French, intermediate Portuguese and basic Italian. Follow her on Instagram: rafif_tayara Dr T. aka The Toothfairy for more tips 🙂 Facebook: The Toothfairy Dr Rafif Tayara