Last year my assistant Jen and I went to Londonderry Elementary School and did 2 presentations to the Kindergarten class. We showed the class a Video called “Dudley goes to the Dentist” it was a great video to show the classes. Dudley was going to the dentist for the 1st time, we then talked to the class about daily brushing habits, like brushing your teeth for 2 mins 2 times a day. We also talked about “Good Foods and Bad Foods” which foods are most likely to attract “Sugar Bugs” and how to keep the “Sugar bugs” off their teeth. They were a very energetic class with lots to talk about. I included some great pictures from last years presentation in this blog.

This year Jen and I were able to go visit her Son Liam’s Kindergarten class at the South Hanover Elementary school. This class was a lot of fun, they had many great questions and answers. We again watched Dudley and illustrated with some students what “Flossing” is and why it is important for our teeth. Each student was given a gift bag with a toothbrush, tooth paste, and Dudley coloring book. The students were given a tooth brushing calendar to help with remember to brush their teeth 2 times each day. When they complete their calendar they are to bring it back to school for a prize!!!

I hope the children enjoyed the visit as much as we did!!!!

We even received a tooth card from South Hanover with a special message and a thank you, signed by all of the students!

Thank you again to all of the GREAT Students and teachers for allowing us to visit.

These statistics might not surprise us as oral hygienists, but they do point to a larger issue that our industry — and society — needs to address quickly: the need to provide quality dental care to patients at a very young age.

How young? We’re talking six months here — not 3 years old.

In addition to the clinical risks, the costs of early childhood caries (ECC) — otherwise known as the “silent epidemic” — continue to skyrocket. Each year, millions of hours are lost at school and work as a result of ECC, and millions of dollars are spent on restorative treatment. Treatment sometimes requires hospitalization and even general anesthesia.3

The financial impact of ECC also places a substantial burden on third-party payers and public dental programs that largely cover the expenses for this treatment.

But that’s just the beginning.

To find out more click on the link below to read the entire article:

http://www.rdhmag.com/index/display/article-display/0251162546/articles/rdh/volume-30/issue-6/features/slowing-the__silent.html

Oral and Pharyngeal cancers will be dianosed in an estimated 30,000 Americans every year, and will cause approximately 8,000 deaths. On average only hald of those with the disease will survive more than 5 yrs.

Early Detection saves lives, with early detection and timely treatment, deaths from oral cancers could be dramatically reduced. Five year survival rate for those with localized disease at diagnosis is 76% compared with only 19% for those whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Sores that might be warning signs of oral cancer, two lesions that cound be precursors to cancer are white in color or (leukoplakia) and red in color(erythroplakia). Leukoplakia lesions are more common but less likely to become cancerous. Erythroplakia lesions have a much greater potential for becoming cancerous.
Any white or red lesion that does not go away by itself in two weeks should be reevaluated and considered for a biopsy to help with diagnosis.

Signs and Symptoms you may see: lump or thickening in the soft tissues, soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat, difficulty chewing or swallowing, ear pain, difficulty moving jaw or tongue, hoarseness, numbness of the tongue or other areas of the mouth or swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

Risk Factors:
Tobacco/Alcohol Use: increases the risk of developing oral cancer. Using both tobacco and alcohol poses a much greater risk than using either substance alone
Sunlight exposure: is a risk for lip cancer.
Age: typically a disease of older people usually because of their longer exposure to risk factors. Incidence of oral cancer rises steadily with age, reaching a peak in patients age between 65-74. For Afican Americans, incidence peaks about 10 yrs earlier.
Sex: Oral cancer strikes men twice as often as it does women.

For more information contact your local dentist or visit:
US Department of Health and Human Services
www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov