Education
BY PATRICIA ORTIZ
Learn about best back-to-school dental practices
Dr. Scott Mason received a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in 1993 and began his dental career in Grapevine the same year. He works at his family dental practice, Mason Dental, which is located off Wall Street in Grapevine. He spoke with Community Impact on some of the ways parents can help kids maintain healthy dental hygiene as they head back to school. With the start of the school year, what best practices and tips would you recommend for children’s dental health as they return to school and routines? You want to establish good habits with the kids to teach them. Daily flossing is important and brush- ing at least twice a day, specifically in the morning after they get up and then at night before they go to bed. I know most of the time they’re not going to be able to do a mid-day brushing, but at least morning and evening is the best bet. What can parents and teachers do to promote healthy habits for children when it comes to dental care? What about for children who participate in sports? Creating a healthy snack board for doing well and reward[ing] good behavior is always a good thing, especially with younger kids, because it teaches them the mindset that, ‘If I do this, then I’m going to get something that is also rewarding.’ It’s always good to have a custom-fitted mouth guard and one that is comfortable so that they are willing to wear it. If they can wear those sports guards, then there’s a higher chance of probability that they won’t have to [deal] with emergencies in the dental office.
What advice do you have for navigating dental visits for children with braces or cavities? Making sure that parents keep [dental and ortho- dontia] appointments throughout the school year, because kids with braces are not the best at taking care of their teeth. Most of the time, appointments are at the begin- ning of the day or the end of the day. At the end of the day, [the patient gets] to go home afterward and [no one has] to rush or hurry back to school or work. What dental care tips should families keep in mind if they pack their student’s lunch? Keeping a low-sugar lunch or lunch box is obviously the best practice, and to encourage more water in their diet. It’s not only good for them and for their whole body, but water is a good neutralizer of an acidic environment in the mouth. Any kind of sugar creates an acidic environ- ment in the mouth. That acidic environment is when cavities form. The more time that the mouth can be in a neutral environment from drinking more water, it’s going to reduce the chances of cavities forming. Do you have any other tips for parents? Encourage the kids to take responsibility for their oral hygiene and for their snacking habits when the parents aren’t involved. It will teach them more responsibility about taking better care of themselves and not having to, hopefully, spend more time in the dental chair.
DR. SCOTT MASON
114
W. WALL ST.
N
801 W. Wall St., Grapevine www.drmasondental.com
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
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