We hate to remind you, but the 2017-18 school year here in Ontario starts on Tuesday 5th September! So, now is the ideal time to book a few important check-ups before the kids head back to school.
New shoes and foot checks
Back to school means back to more formal footwear after a summer of bare-footed fun. Your children’s feet may have grown over the summer; between the ages of 3 and 10 years, children’s feet can grow up to 1mm in length per month. Growth is not evenly spread over the year either; some kids can grown through three sizes of shoe over a six month period. Interestingly, boys’ feet grow by about 10% between the ages of 12 and 17, compared with about 2% growth for girls.
However, foot size is only part of the story. Incorrect biomechanical alignment can affect the way kids walk, run or stand. So, if your child is complaining of sore feet or in particular heel pain, it might not be due just to the fit of their shoes. Equally, different sports require different levels of support, so a pair of basketball shoes will be quite different from, say, a pair of running shoes.
The team at Foot Dynamics can check the fit of your child’s shoes, assess their gait and advise on any action required, including custom-made orthotics made in their own lab. Orthotics simply slip into normal footwear and support the foot, to spread weight evenly across the foot. If your children are not sure about orthotics, just tell them that many professional sportspeople use them in their sports shoes for better performance!
Dental checks
A visit to the dentist is a great idea before the new term begins, to check the development of teeth, the prevention of decay, and general oral health. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in the world, and an estimated 2.26 million school days are missed every year by children through dental-related illness.
Our brand new dental clinic here at AMG London is smart and welcoming, and our staff make sure that your child’s first visit here is relaxed and pain-free. Set in our state of the art clinical building, a visit to our new dental clinic feels more like visiting a smart hotel than to the dentist, with views out through large picture windows, and a TV screen to watch overhead too. Make sure you leave a little time for a post-appointment snack at the Apple a Day Bistro in our reception area!
Eye exams
Regular eye exams are just as important for children as for adults. A full eye exam will check the health of your child’s eyes as well as checking their vision. Regular checks create a unique record of your child’s vision, and allow the team to build a complete visual history that ensures any changes affecting your child’s vision are detected early.
Our new state of the art Advanced Vision Centre has the very latest retinal imagery and scanning technology, allowing kids to see the inside of their own eyeballs (if they wish!) We also stock a range of fashion eyewear that kids will enjoy wearing all year round. Our professional team includes opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists, and no referral is necessary. Just call us to make an appointment.
PA days
The first PA day of the Fall is on Friday September 29th, and that’s also a good day to come and have your own appointments here at AMG London. Why? You can drop younger kids at the Tiny Treasures Play and Learn Centre here at AMG London, and know they’ll be enjoying themselves making, creating and playing while you have your appointment! Tiny Treasures provides professional drop-in child care that your kids will love, under the expert supervision of our Early Childhood Educator, Stephanie.
In fact, why wait until a PA day? Why not book yourself a session at the Rejuv Spa (there’s a special Mini Lip Plump Day this Thursday) and give the kids a fun-filled session at Tiny Treasures before going back to their books!
AMG London: your one-stop clinic for healthy living
For more details on the health care and lifestyle medicine professionals based at AMG London, explore this website, or call us to discuss your specific requirements.