Dental flight members educate youth on Children’s Dental Health Month

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aaron J. Jenne
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Dover Air Force Base, Del. --  To raise awareness for this Children’s Dental Health Month and general oral health, members of the 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s dental flight visited students at the Welsh Elementary School, Youth Center and Child Development Center here during the month.

The American Dental Association has focused on children’s dental health for the better part of a century. In 1941, a one-day event was hosted in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1949, the event became a national observance. Through the years, more time was devoted toward raising awareness for children’s oral health, and in 1981, the entire month of February was set aside as the commemorative National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Each year, during the month of February, dental health professionals around the nation promote children’s dental health with a concerted focus on a common goal. This year’s theme, “Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile,” intends to raise awareness to the dangers of sugary foods and beverages, and urge children to drink water when they’re thirsty. If possible, children should also drink tap water that has fluoride in it for dental health.

“We talked about brushing and flossing, what foods are good and bad for your teeth, and we put on a play,” said Capt. Marisa Romeo, 436th AMDS general dentist. “We had someone from our flight dress up in a tooth costume, and the kids practiced brushing the tooth with a giant toothbrush. It’s a really great experience seeing the children get fired up about dental health, and it’s a great way for us to show the children that dentists aren’t scary.”

Children’s dental health is an important health consideration, Romeo said. Each year, more than 51 million hours of school are missed by children due to dental disease.

To mitigate the risk of such illness, the dental flight is urging children to learn good dental practices at a young age, and for parents to support oral hygiene.

“Oral health is foundational,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Elam, 436th AMDS NCO in charge of preventative dentistry. “We teach our kids how to wash and groom, how to take care of their hair and how they should eat. We teach them at a young age with the understanding that someday they’re going to be adults, and whatever we teach them now is going to have an effect on their future. That’s why we need to make sure we’re instilling good oral health habits in our children. After our baby teeth fall out, we only get one set to last our lives. The decisions we make about dental care affect us the rest of our lives.”

To make sure oral hygiene practices are observed, it’s important to schedule routine checkups and cleanings, Romeo said. Dependent dental health is not covered under Tricare health insurance and the clinic only provides routine care for service members on active orders, so service members must enroll in MetLife and find an approved off-base dental care facility for their families. The clinic may see dependents suffering from a dental emergencies at their discretion.

“We’re a pretty small flight,” Elam said. “We only have 30 people in our flight and six dentists. We may not see dependents for treatment, but we’re still a resource for other things. For example, sports season is coming soon, and anyone can come to the clinic and get a free boil and bite mouth guard. We’ve always got some extra toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste too.”

The dental flight also participates in monthly prenatal briefings for any new parents, Romeo said. Oral health is not typically something new parents think about when they are expecting a newborn, so it’s a good time to remind them to schedule a checkup when the child’s first tooth comes in.

“Your children are watching,” Elam said. “They’re learning. Take the opportunity to set an example for them, and let their excitement encourage you. Be a good example, and show them what it looks like to take care of your teeth and be a good steward of your body.”

To stay informed on oral health and upcoming dental clinic events, visit the 436th Medical Group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/436MDG.