Happiness is visiting your dentist and getting the good news: NO CAVITIES! Unfortunately for me, this didn't happen. My youngest son, Dr. Richard, gave me an exam and informed me that there was decay under two of my old gold crowns. My gold fillings are special to me and have lasted a long time. I was sad at the thought of replacing them. My husband, Dr. Mike, talked me into trying a new technique where he makes a porcelain crown in his office and in one visit the tooth is restored. He replaced the old crown with a “Cerec” crown and it has been wonderful! Visiting the dentist regularly can be a positive experience for your children. Regular cleanings, fluoride treatments and exams are the best way to prevent decay and and help your children realize that the dentist is their friend. If they do have cavities, he can fix them using painless techniques so the children don't experience a lot of pain. The dental hygienist can teach them proper techniques for brushing and flossing so they can keep their teeth clean and free from plaque.
The dentist and hygienist are important, however parents are primarily responsible to help their children establish good dental health habits. Young children need supervision with brushing their teeth until they are old enough to dress themselves and tie their own shoes. They need supervision with flossing until 10 years of age. I let my young children brush their teeth the best they could and then I would look for any “sugar bugs” that they missed, actually brushing their teeth one more time. If a child is not brushing well, sealants on the chewing surface of the molars can help prevent cavities in the hard to reach places. Parents who brush and floss regularly teach their children by example.
Parents should help their children choose healthy snacks to eat in between meals. Candy use to be the biggest problem when I was growing up. Today soda, sometimes called “liquid candy”, is creating a bigger health risk, especially with teenagers. Teens currently drink twice as much soda as milk when compared to twenty years ago. Studies have shown that teenage girls are not getting enough calcium which is so important for bone development. The health risk here is osteoporosis and broken bones.
Some teens think that drinking diet drinks will eliminate the sugar that causes decay. How wrong they are! It is the acid in soda that weakens the enamel leaving the tooth vulnerable to decay. Some people use cola drinks to clean the engines in their cars. If the acid in soda can remove rust off engines, imagine what it can do to the enamel on your teeth. Have your teenagers watch a video and read an article at www.dental--health.com. Look for the link “tooth enamel issues”. It may have a lasting impression when they see what can happen if they continue to sip on soda throughout the day.
February is National Children's Dental Health Month sponsored by the American Dental Association. During this month, dental spouses volunteer to help teach children about dental health. For the last four years, I have been helping to present a fun and educational puppet show that is a great way to entertain children and at the same time teach them about the importance of taking care of their teeth. Teachers and parents, let's do what we can to get the message to our kids. A beautiful smile will improve their appearance and self image. It will give them confidence to share their smile, bringing happiness to everyone around them.
Fruit Salsa
1 or 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 cups diced fresh strawberries
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. freezer strawberry jam
1 /2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1 cup cooking oil
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
In a medium bowl, mix together apples, strawberries, kiwis, lemon juice, brown sugar, jam and cinnamon if desired. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat. Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa. To lower the fat content, brush the tortillas with oil on both sides, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture, cut into triangles and bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or until done.
Pictured above are Allison, Paula, Cathy, Darlene and Mary (wives of dentists in the area) and the puppets in the show called "Billy the Cavity". A baby dinosaur named Deedee has a bad dream about Billy causing cavities in three little baby teeth. This fun puppet show uses music to put across the message that we all need to brush and floss every day. It also shows that visiting your dentist regularly can help to keep your smile bright and beautiful. February 2009 the show was presented to 31 elementary schools in Utah County.
Sharon Wiest from Provo helped make this project come together. The scripts for this show and another called "Rocky's Smile” were written by Lisa Arrington. The marionettes were designed and hand made by Ree Roper. Replicas of the marionettes have been made into less expensive hand puppets so that these educational presentations can be enjoyed by many more children outside of Utah Valley. The puppet show has been used in Mongolia and Madagascar to bring the message of dental health to the children there.
