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Ramstein dental techs emphasize early preventative care

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) --  Cleaning, flossing and repairing teeth is nothing unusual for the dentists and technicians at the 86th Medical Group here. Each year they see thousands of active-duty members, civilian employees and family members. But family members, especially young children, are really where the dentists get the bang for their proverbial buck.

Preventative care, or measures taken to prevent diseases and future medical conditions, rather than cure them, has been a topic of study, especially with the suggested health-care reform changes posed by President Barrack Obama. Some suggest by implementing simple preventative measures early we could save millions nationwide in health care costs. Preventative dental care is another area where a large difference can be made by taking steps early.

Many recent studies have shown frightening news about significant increases in young children suffering from tooth decay, causing some parents to take notice and ensure their children are getting proper dental care.

With only one full-time pediatric dentist, Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Kersey at the 86th Dental Clinic, other general dentists such as Maj. (Dr.) Jonathan Evans chip in regularly seeing the many dependent children in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

According to WebMD, most babies get their first tooth around 6 months and their last primary molars before they turn 3. What is very important to keep in mind is your child will keep these "baby" teeth until age 10 or 12 making cleaning and maintaining those 20 teeth very important not only to social imaging, but also to overall physical well-being.

But as Doctor Evans points out, some of the habits formed at an early age, such as proper or improper brushing, will stick with individuals even into adulthood.

"During a child's visit, we work with not only the patient, but the parents as well," Doctor Evans said.

"With kids, you are doing the same exam and cleaning (as for adults)," Doctor Kersey said. "We simply modify the exam a little to facilitate the child's attention span. We always leave a little time to educate the parents on the importance of being involved in their child's dental health. Prevention and education is the key."

In terms of when parents should start administering dental care, many Web sites suggest cleaning the gums of infants, even before the first tooth appears.

Doctor Evans suggested, "Dental care should start as early as possible."

A simple technique of dampening a small piece of textured gauze and wiping down gums after feeding could help children avoid dental health problems in the future enabling a healthy smile, a stronger personal image and perhaps even saving money down the road.

Other helpful tips for parents include:
-- Using just a wet toothbrush, which, is sufficient for cleaning toddler teeth.
-- Children need fluoride in their water supply to strengthen tooth enamel.
-- Don't let your child fall asleep with a bottle or sippy cup. If your child wants to go to bed with a drink, fill a sippy cup with water.
-- Plan your child's first dental trip at one year.
-- Start to floss once teeth are touching.
-- And remember anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt can stain teeth.