February is National Children's Dental Health Month! And there is no time better than the present to highlight the importance of oral health and developing good habits at an early age. The Partnership was able to track down Martha Keels, DDS of Duke Pediatric Dentistry for a Q&A on this very important topic.  Thank you Dr. Keels for lending us your expertise!

Q: What is preventive dental care and why is it so important?

• It saves money! Dental treatment is expensive. 
• Children can take great pride in saying “I am cavity-free!”
• Prevention helps you stay on the path to being cavity free and hopefully avoid having a needle shot and a drill in your mouth!

Q: What dental routine is suggested for infants whose teeth have yet to arrive?

• Get the baby accustomed to having their mouth wiped even before the teeth arrive. Before or after the bath, use a clean washcloth and wipe the gums.
• This also gets parents and caregivers in the habit of checking the mouth every day.
• Make oral hygiene part of the child’s everyday routine! 

Q: At what age should children get their first dental cleaning?
Children should have a “dental home” by age one.  Typically, children have 8 teeth by then and the dentist or the dental staff can review with you and demonstrate how to properly clean these teeth.  This is usually done sitting knee to knee with the dentist and not in the dental chair. 

Q: What can parents/children expect during their first visit to the dentist?

• Review of the families’ (both parents) dental history and the child’s medical history
• Thorough mouth exam – pathology, cavities, saliva
• Demonstration on proper teeth cleaning – brushing and flossing
• Discuss appropriate type of toothpaste and fluoride needs
• Review of the diet – avoid juice, keep WATER in the bottle or sippy cup, avoid sticky candy and foods. Avoid any food labeled SOUR --- sour candy is very acidic and burns holes in the teeth
• Discussion about how to handle any habits like pacifier or digit sucking
• Discussion about how to handle any dental injuries – what to do and who to call
• Leave knowing what your child’s caries risk is – high, medium or low 

Q: What is the most common excuse parents and caregivers make for not seeking preventive dental care early enough?
Parents are often afraid their child will cry or be disruptive in the dental office, so they want to wait until the child is better behaving. Dentists are very comfortable with a crying child. It is normal for children to be scared or anxious, but typically, after we spend some time with the child and gain their trust, the child relaxes. Don’t avoid getting good information about how to care for your child.
Another reason would simply be the cost. But prevention in much cheaper than treatment! One small filling can be over $200 – OUCH!

Q: What are the long-term problems that arise from improper dental care early on?

• Studies show that if dental caries is left untreated, children do more poorly in school as they can be distracted by discomfort or pain.
• If you lose a baby tooth too early, then the teeth shift around and permanent teeth do not erupt nicely, which can lead to more crooked teeth.
• If the teeth have to be restored with silver crowns, then the child has to live with silver versus natural white for several years. The last baby molars do not fall out until age 12.

Q: What are the main culprits for tooth decay in young children?

• Eating my worry foods --- dried fruit (raisins, craisins), fruit roll-ups, fruit chews, skittles, starbursts, gummies, gummy vitamins, cereal bars and granola bars.  And, NOT FLOSSING --- these foods get stuck between the 8 molars and then you get the 8 chewing cavities.
• Holding juice, sports drinks, lemonade or soda in the mouth – slow swallowing or drinking an acidic beverage before bed.

Q: What is the critical connection between preventive dental care and success in school for children?
Dr. Stephanie Jackson’s study showed there were more missed school days due to cavities as well as poorer school performance for children with cavities. Healthy smiles and successful lives go hand in hand. 

Data from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion indicates that early tooth loss caused by dental decay can result in failure to thrive, impaired speech development, absence from and inability to concentrate in school, and reduced self-esteem.

 
Resources for parents and children
» Handout for parents on preventive dental care for toddlers
» Coloring sheet for children, developed by the American Dental Association.

Martha Ann Keels DDS PhD, Associate Professor in Surgery and Pediatrics
Duke Pediatric Dentistry, 2711 North Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704

Over the past two years of the North Carolina School of Science and Math’s Food Drive to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, the school has collected a total of 879,875 pounds of food.  Last year’s efforts made history, as the school surpassed the Guinness World Record for the largest food drive in 24 hours by collecting 559,885 pounds of food. This year – on March 3, 2012 – the NCSSM Food Drive will attempt to collect 120,125 pounds of food to surpass a three year total of ONE MILLION pounds! The one million pound mark equates to roughly 857,000 meals for those served by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC.

Because we at the Partnership know what a full stomach means for families and for young children, we want to help.  We are asking for your help in being part of food drive history.

From now until March 2nd, we will be collecting items for the drive here at the Partnership office and we will deliver them to NCSSM on Saturday, March 3rd.  For those who wish to contribute, a collection box will be placed in the lobby at 1201 S. Briggs Ave., Durham, NC.  Just drop off items and we’ll do the rest! See below for a list of most-needed items.

There is also an option for online donation through the NCSSM Virtual Food Drive. Every dollar donated through the NCSSM Virtual Food Drive will enable the Food Bank to directly purchase approximately 2.5 pounds of food, which will be added to the food collected at the NCSSM Food Drive.

For further questions, please contact the NCSSM Event Coordinator, Sue Anne Lewis, at ncssmfooddrive@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping NCSSM fight hunger across North Carolina!

Did you know that within the first year of a child’s life, he or she should see a doctor for a well-child visit seven times?  These frequent but critical visits – known as preventive care – are the optimal way to track children’s growth and development, to administer required shots that keep children healthy, and to provide an opportunity to ask the doctor questions about children’s health.

A guest column (“Preventive care very important for healthy kids”) by Partnership Board Member and social worker at Duke Children’s Primary Care David Covington appearing in today’s Herald-Sun makes the case for preventive care. The piece promotes the importance of ensuring families have health insurance and a regular health care provider; ensuring primary care providers use standardized developmental screenings during well-child visits; and, educating parents on developmental milestones during routine well-child visits. 

Click here to read the column in full.

Link to our brochure online: Healthy & Ready: A Guide to Preventive Care.  Spanish version.

Click here to read more about the Partnership’s Kindergarten Health Assessment (KHA) Project.

Did you know that Durham has been recognized as a Playful City USA by KaBoom? Playful City USA is a national recognition program that honors cities that make play a priority by using innovative programs that foster active environments for children.  Last year, 151 cities and towns were recognized. 
For the benefit of our children’s healthy physical development, parents and caregivers should be encouraging children to spend at least an hour a day playing outside where some of the most exploratory learning often takes place.  Encouraging children to go outside, get moving, and connect with nature are all ways to avoid childhood obesity, but there are other benefits too. Kids who play outside are happier, healthier, and stronger.
Yet families often experience many obstacles when it comes to spending time outdoors: busy schedules, technology, community violence, and fear of getting hurt.  Another common barrier to outdoor play is lack of access to public parks and playgrounds.

Fortunately for Durhamites, a number of nearby parks and play areas are located on the bus route.  Here’s a small listing:

OF INTEREST:  Did you know that the Museum of Life and Science offers free admission on Wednesdays from 1 -5 pm to all Durham County Residents? ID required. The museum is located at 433 West Murray Avenue, Durham, NC 27704.

So get out, explore, and learn in our playful city of Durham!