Healthy Infants, Healthy Children

Stephanie Nelson, RDA shows patient Kalliyanne Palmer how to brush and make healthy food choices during a monthly Well Child Dental Exam at Burre Dental Center

“Education is essential, and our team is dedicated to oral hygiene education,” says Kathy Dilling, assistant to the director of the Burre Dental Center. “For parents and children, it makes a big difference, in health, time and money.” Kathy, a registered dental assistant, has been with Open Door for more than 18 years. “We believe that education will help set up the kids for a healthy lifestyle.”

Open Door dental centers work to educate children and families. Well Child Dental Exams, otherwise known as “Smile Days” are offered once a month at the Burre Dental Center in Eureka and the Del Norte Community Health Center in Crescent City.

Dr. Carter Wright gives patient Clara a fluoride treatment at her well-child dental exam.

These are free walk-in clinics for infants and children up to age five. Kathy Dilling explains, “We offer simple examinations and education in a relaxed and kid-friendly environment. The whole clinic is geared toward kids on these days. We want children to be comfortable coming to see a dentist, starting at a young age. We help kids and families learn about proper dental care, brushing, diet and safety. We want kids to be proud of taking care of their teeth. There are usually lots of other kids around, so it can be a little hectic, but a lot of fun too.” At both the Burre and Del Norte clinics, dental assistants go through a basic dental checkup with young children and talk to the kids and parents about oral health. Every child is seen by a dentist and if problems are identified, appointments for follow-up care are made on the spot. Every parent receives a goodie bag filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste and other supplies for preventive care as well as a healthy, tooth-friendly snack.

At the Del Norte Community Health Center, these kid-friendly clinics are held the first Friday of every month from 9:00am to 11:00am; call ahead or walk-in. The events are held at the Burre Dental Center on the first Wednesday of every month from 9:00am to noon. Calling ahead is recommended. Visit www.opendoorhealth.com for more information.

Suzanna Torres, RDA shows patient Aimee Rogers how all of the dental instruments work

I’ve seen a real decrease in the number of children with cavities, but I still see way too much decay. And I often see serious decay in an entire family, across multiple generations. If your parents didn’t know about oral hygiene, you probably didn’t learn how important it is, and you probably aren’t helping your children establish good habits,” explains Dr. Wright. But the cycle can be broken. Samantha Hani emphasizes, “We need to educate parents and children together. Oral health care needs to start at an early age, so the parents need to be involved. Our well-child checks (Smile Days) are for children up to age 5. Lately, we have been seeing a lot of children return once or twice a year for a check-up. This is great.” The dental staff is seeing the results of their efforts to educate the community about prevention and good oral health routines, particularly in the youngest generation. “Things seem to be getting a lot better,” Samantha states.

“Maintaining oral health is a daily activity. You can’t wait until something goes wrong. But it only takes a few minutes and doesn’t cost very much,” says Susan Wellman, DMD, of the Del Norte Community Health Center. “Our dental assistants and dentists encourage parents to take care of their teeth and to model good oral health for their children. Most of the time, parents just don’t know what to do, and if they can’t help, children will probably develop problems.” The Open Door dentists offer the following recommendations:

● For infants, try to stop using bottles after the first year and encourage the use of an open cup as soon as possible; limit the use of ‘sippy’ cups as much as possible;

● To prevent ‘baby bottle tooth decay’ never put your baby to sleep with a bottle. At night, only put water in the bottle. Milk and juice pool around the child’s teeth as they sleep, causing tooth decay. Babies can develop tooth decay as soon as their teeth start coming in.

● Start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as they start to come in, gently using only water and a soft toothbrush. Around age 2, your child will be able to follow simple instructions, such as spitting out toothpaste foam and you can begin to use a “pea-sized” amount of toothpaste. Letting your child watch you brush your teeth will create a good example, one they are likely to copy.

● Children – and adults – should brush their teeth twice a day. Brushing should last 4 minutes each time. An inexpensive egg-timer can be helpful.

● At any age, fruit is better than fruit juice, which typically has a lot of sugar (natural or added). Don’t use bottles or sippy cups for juice.

● See your dentist for a regular check-up at least annually, twice a year if possible. If there is any tooth or mouth complaint or problem, bring your child to the dentist. It is much easier to fix little problems.

● Children should wear mouth guards during all sports activities. Many broken or missing teeth could have been prevented by the child wearing a mouth guard. This applies to bike riding and skate-boarding as well, particularly when trying out tricks.

● It is never too late to start taking care of your teeth. Whatever the age of your child, whatever your age, starting to brush regularly, floss and reduce sugary snacks will make difference. For young children, you are preventing future problems For older children and adults with dental problems, you are slowing the disease process and making it easier for your dentist to correct the existing problems.

● Talk with your dentist. They will be happy to answer your questions about caring for your teeth and the teeth of your family.

Brandy Boone works in the newly created position of case manager at the Burre Dental Center. She works to help find treatment solutions for extreme or immediate situations, including cases of neglect. “I mostly manage cases for little kids with high risks, most are under six years old. We usually have to send them to specialists. After specialized treatment, it is important for the child to return to the clinic for follow-up. We don’t want them getting lost in the shuffle and we don’t want a repeat of what caused the severe problems in the first place.” Brandy’s usual cases involve severe tooth decay, sometimes related to neglect, poor habits or poor diet. “Most of the cases I see are the result of parents who don’t know what to do or don’t know that we are here to treat young children. No one wants their child to suffer now or in the future. We can help prevent these problems if parents bring their children in for a check-up and then follow-through with the treatment plan.”