by Matt Bird

Created on: August 23, 2010

Whether you're the student or a parent who's concerned with your child's oral health, keeping teeth clean while attending school can be a real pain. The combination of long hours in an away-from-home environment and sometimes poor diets can wreak havoc on teeth, potentially sucking away money for checkups that's better used for textbooks and tuition.

It's not impossible to maintain your teeth while attending school, of course - it's just a little more difficult. Here, then, are some tips that should help you keep your pearly whites their proper color - or at least limit the damage to their hue.

- If you're the one attending school, you need to keep in the habit of brushing three times a day. Always brush before leaving in the morning and when you're going to bed at night, preferably after your last meal, and find space in the day to continue the practice. It's the middle gap that proves the most dangerous, as snacks during the day leave a coating of sugar on your teeth that may not be cleaned for hours on end. If nothing else, brush your teeth as soon as you get home, and consider taking a tooth brush with you to scrub after lunch (or, on long days, dinner).

- You should also take up flossing at night, after the day is done, to get rid of any leftover food between your teeth. This is especially important in school as you're less likely to pay attention to how you're chewing your food and more likely to focus on friends or work.

- Eat healthier foods. Search for things that are more likely to keep your teeth clean, such as fruits and vegetables, and avoid those items which will stain your teeth, mainly junk foods like pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs. This has the double benefit of keeping you slim and will probably help you save money in the long run. Preparing your own lunch is a sure way to follow through on this step.

- Along the same vein, try to avoid snacking during the day. Stick with large meals so you can brush immediately after you're done. Nobody's going to pull out their toothbrush minutes after eating a chocolate bar, and consequently that sugar will linger in your mouth for several hours with nothing to do but mess with your teeth.

- And, depending on your school, you may want to get your teeth cleaned semi-regularly by the school's dentistry students. Usually post-secondary institutions with dental programs offer free (or at least cheap) cleanings to give their students some practice, and though there's an element of risk a mere teeth cleaning will probably go just fine.

If you're the parent in this situation then many of the same rules apply. Prepare healthier food for your child, make sure they brush their teeth regularly and get them in for checkups. Instilling these behaviors in your child well before they go off to school will ultimately help, as you won't need to tell them what to do in regards to their teeth - they'll just follow through with these steps out of sheer habit.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.