February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a good time to review some “PEARLS” of wisdom about ensuring children have the best dental health because cavities are no fun.  First the good news – while cavities are the most common chronic disease of childhood according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they are completely preventable.  The not so good news is that more than 1 in 5 children aged 2 to 5 years has at least one cavity and children from low income families are more than twice as likely to have untreated cavities.  This is why ChesPenn has launched a medical dental integration program that allows the Public Health Dental Hygienist to visit with parents during children’s medical well-child checks to do a quick screening and some dental health education.  The hygienist can even schedule a dental appointment
during her visit with the parents.

Many parents don’t realize how early dental visits should start.  They may also have heard that since baby teeth fall out, it isn’t important for children to see the dentist until the permanent teeth start to come in.  However, the health of the baby teeth can affect the permanent teeth and cavities at any age can hurt.  Small children aren’t always able to communicate what is hurting them, but they may have trouble eating and may not be able to focus or may act out in day care or school.

We recently caught up with Sherri Mills and her children Mai and Sarai Bivens during the children’s dental checkup at our Center for Family Health at Eastside in Chester.  Sherri had been taking them to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for dental care but learned that ChesPenn offered dental care right in her community.  She shared that she and the children really like the dental staff and appreciate the convenience.  Mai and Sarai have been coming to the dentist since they were small and they both feel great about getting regular checkups and cleaning.  Mai let us know that he brushes and flosses every day.

Here are some PEARLS of Wisdom from the CDC for ensuring the best dental health for your child:

Protect tiny teeth by caring for your mouth when you’re pregnant. Your child’s future oral health starts with you.

Ensure to wipe your baby’s gums after each meal.

Avoid putting babies to bed with a bottle.

Remember to brush your child’s teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. For children younger than 2 years, consult with your dentist or doctor about when to start using fluoride toothpaste.

Limit drinks and food with added sugars for children. Encourage your child to eat more fruits and vegetables and have fewer fruit drinks, cookies, and candies. This gives your child the best possible start to good oral health.

Schedule your child’s first dental visit by their first birthday or after their first tooth appears. Their tiny teeth matter!

We would add that fluoride varnish and dental sealants are great tools for fighting dental decay.

How does your family focus on children’s dental health?

Kudirat Ariyo and her husband came to the United States from Nigeria to visit family and friends in New York last year. Not long after, they moved to Pennsylvania. Mrs. Ariyo learned about ChesPenn from a friend at church and began her prenatal care at our Chester site. She was surprised but pleased to learn that she was carrying twins, although both families have multiple sets of twins. “I was so happy when I discovered that we were having twins,” she shared. Because the Ariyos were new to the U.S. and needed resources, they were referred to Porsha Harris, one of ChesPenn’s Social Services Coordinators, who connected them with Catholic Social Services, WIC, and the County Assistance Office so they could access the financial, food, and housing they would need for their expanding family.

The twins, Muhammad and Arafat, were delivered by Cesarean section in December. The parents recently brought them in for their 7th week check and their pediatrician, Dr. Stephanie Tanner Walsh related that they are thriving. “They are both growing well on breast and formula supplementation. During our visit many family members from their home country of Nigeria were anxious to see the babies and congratulate the new parents via phone.

This continuity of care is virtually unique to community health centers, where adult and pediatric medical care, OB/GYN services, dental and behavioral care, as well as social service coordination are all available at the same location. The family became comfortable coming into our health center and getting to know staff through the course of the pregnancy, received support accessing vital benefits, and then were given a true warm hand-off from their obstetrician to their pediatrician, whose office is just down the hall. This benefits mothers and babies as providers are able to share information freely and the family develops a high comfort level with the entire staff at the site. In a few months, our Public Health Dental Hygienist will stop in at a well-baby visit to talk to mom about early steps in dental hygiene and will offer to schedule a first dental visit for the twins. We are looking forward to watching the twins grow up and to continuing to care for the whole family.

Robert D’Agostino is a carpenter.  He belongs to the local carpenters’ union and receives great benefits – when he is able to work a specific number of hours each year.  Unfortunately, over the past couple of years work has been scarce and he lost his benefits, including his health insurance.  Robert learned about ChesPenn’s dental services and came in for an exam and cleaning.  He returned later to have two cavities filled.  He was impressed with the quality of care he received.   “I can trust the dentists here,” he said.  “They’re very effective and professional, very down to earth.”

During his first visit, Robert discovered that we also offer medical care and he made an appointment with Josemi Josef, our Nurse Practitioner.  He shared that before coming to ChesPenn he hadn’t really seen a physician for many years.  His philosophy was that good health meant eating right, getting good exercise including cardio and strength training, meditating, and having an interest in life.  He’s since added seeing his family medicine physician regularly.  He was anxious at first about seeing a new provider, but over his first few visits he and Josemi built a rapport and he was comfortable following her recommendations for managing his hypertension.

“Dr. Josie is kind.  She cares.  She’s the kind of person you want to hug. I’m really glad these people are here.”