DePaul Community Health Centers is encouraging parents and guardians to consider crossing one item off their children's back-to-school list early: scheduling their child’s summer dental appointment.
It's easy for children to break away from their usual routine during the summer. With this lack of structure and increased activities, they often indulge in more sugary treats or snacking more than normal. By getting a child in for routine care, the dentist can detect and prevent cavities, which are becoming extremely common.
Cavities often don’t show signs or symptoms until they’re severe and may need a root canal, causing more discomfort for the child. Routine dental visits are important because dentists are able to view things that parents and guardians may not be aware of.
“As a part of the community our goal and mission is to create awareness about pediatric dental maintenance and provide treatment to the underserved population,” said Aleena Shahiryar, DDS, chief dental officer at DePaul Community Health Centers. “Prevention is extremely important. Establishing oral health care habits is good for overall dental hygiene and for the prevention of tooth decay.” Summer dental checkups can also prevent absences and lower grades during the school year. Children are three times more likely to miss school days and four times more likely to have a low-grade point average due to dental-related pain than any other illness.