Your child may be heading off to college and for the first time won’t be under your watchful eye when it comes to proper hygiene habits. While your child does have to learn to take care of their dental needs by themselves, you can still provide some gentle guidance and help by doing the following for them:
Send Your Child a Dental Care Package
Send them off with plenty of oral hygiene items. College students are often low on funds, and they may not buy the proper supplies they need to keep their teeth and gums healthy. Help them stock up by sending them with plenty of whitening toothpaste, toothbrushes, disposable flossers and mouthwash. You might even splurge and purchase a reliable electronic toothbrush for them. If they have what they need, they will be more likely to continue brushing and flossing regularly. Be sure to include enough items to last for a couple of months so that they won’t run out.
Set up Reminders
Send them gentle reminders concerning dental appointments. Your busy college student will not be thinking about the dentist when they are faced with hours of studying and tests every other day. When they are due for a cleaning or check-up, call, text, or send them a message over Facebook to remind them. You may feel as if you are bothering them, but they will thank you for it later when they have healthy teeth and gums!
Double-Check Their Insurance Plan
Make sure their dental insurance policy is up-to-date. This is another area your college student may not have the time to keep up with. You should also keep a copy of your child’s dental insurance card on hand in the event that they lose theirs. From time to time, check the company’s website to see if there are any changes to the insurance plan and inform your student if there is. You’ll also want to go over the policy with your child at some point so that they do understand what is covered, what isn’t, if they are responsible for a co-pay and how much, and more.
Help your college child by continuing to provide information and reminders about their dental needs until they are confident enough to do so on their own. Oral health is important at every stage of your child’s life, not just when they live in your home.
If you are a college student or have a kid heading off to college and getting ready to graduate high school let our cosmetic dentist help you at our Scottsdale or Downtown Phoenix area.
