Three little ones come marching into our Head Start health exam room. They are about to have a dental screening. You’d think they’d be a little scared. But these three children are full of smiles. They know that there are toys to play with. They know that there’s a kind young women ready to look at their teeth. They know that they might get “gummy bears” as their teeth are examined!
Gummy bears you ask? Well, that’s actually a fluoride varnish that tastes like melon. And they don’t have to get it if they are scared of having the varnish. The goals here are to get these children used to having their teeth seen, and if larger problems are found, get them in to see a dentist or oral surgeon to address those issues.
Sierra Miller, a hygienist working for Advantage Dental, offers this service at no charge. She has a special certificate so that she can work independently of a dentist. She kindly asks each child to come over to have their teeth looked at. She asks them for permission to put on sparkles (Silver Nitrate) and gummy bears (the fluoride varnish). None of the children is forced to have these basic procedures done, but with a lot of encouragement, most end up willing to do so.
Once they’re done, there are high fives all around. Shouts of “you’re so courageous!” Big smiles from both the big people (Head Start staff and the hygienist) and the little people. Then off the little ones go, with another group ready for their turn.
Sometimes, major issues are spotted. Teresa O’Sullivan, our Head Start Health Disability Services Coordinator, spoke about a little boy who was seen last year. He wasn’t smiling at all, because of the immense amount of tooth pain he was experiencing. We were having to get special foods that he was able to eat. After a screening and referral, he had oral surgery performed on many of his teeth. He came back with a lot of silver in his mouth, but pain free.
Not only was he happier, he finally had a chance to focus on learning, instead of on his pain. He went around showing off his “silver teeth.” Not only is he feeling good about himself, he now has a better chance long-term of avoiding health issues that arise when bacteria from tooth decay shed off and infect other parts of the body.
Advantage Dental has been an outstanding partner over the years. They not only screen our Head Start children, they also offer screenings for our WIC families. We are so grateful to have this “sparkling” relationship!
