As part of the ritual of going back to school, parents will no doubt buy their children new clothes and supplies, and take them to the pediatrician for their annual checkup. But Mark Helpin, D.M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, says that this is also the perfect time to schedule a dental checkup.

“So much of dental care is reactionary; parents will bring their children in only if there’s a problem. But it’s highly unusual for a parent to wait until the child is sick to take him or her to the pediatrician,” Helpin said. “Just as you schedule well-baby visits and health checkups with a pediatrician, you should also schedule oral health checkups with a dentist.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most common childhood disease in the United States — five times more prevalent than asthma and seven times more prevalent than hay fever. Yet it is a condition that is entirely preventable.

Helpin says the key to prevention lies with early, regular visits to the dentist, which should typically be every six months. In addition to treating and preventing tooth decay, visits provide children and parents

The American Academy for Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children first be seen by their dentist within six months of the first sign of a tooth, and warns that without continued preventive care, poor oral health could lead to a number of health and development issues in adolescence and adulthood.

“It’s important to establish a relationship with a dentist the same way you would with a pediatrician,” Helpin said. “This is the idea behind the ‘dental home’ — a place where an oral healthcare provider has established a relationship with the child. That doesn’t mean just treating an issue; it also includes preventive treatment and nutritional counseling.”

According to the AAPD, the concept of a dental home “enhances the dental professional’s ability to assist children and their parents in the quest for optimum oral healthcare, beginning with the age one dental visit for successful preventive care and treatment as part of an overall oral healthcare foundation.”

By including dental checkups in the back-to-school health screening process, Helpin