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Teeth are key to good health

The Jamestown Sun - 2/28/2019

Feb. 28-- Feb. 28--Tooth decay is a common and preventable condition of childhood, and yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said approximately 20 percent of children ages 5 to 11 and 13 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 have at least one untreated cavity.

Jamie Blumhagen, a hygienist with the North Dakota Department of Health's Oral Health Program, visited Louis L'Amour Elementary School on Tuesday for kindergarten screenings. Since 2014 he and other hygienists have been visiting schools around the state to provide screenings, fluoride treatments and sealants through federal programs.

"I want to see every kindergarten kid with a perfect mouth," Blumhagen said as he set up to do the screenings Tuesday at Louis L'Amour.

Helping kids develop good dental hygiene habits from a young age can help prevent serious health issues later on, Blumhagen said. Kids need to know the importance of brushing and a healthy diet, he said.

Kids do better with oral hygiene today but the numbers vary by income level and location, he said. Some of the children he screened elsewhere had abscessed teeth that were rotten down to the gums, which can lead to life-threatening infections and gum disease, he said.

Once a child with dental problems is referred the goal is also to avoid a repeat situation by addressing the underlying hygiene and diet issues, he said. The extreme situations sometimes occur when a child changes homes, from one parent to another, or to grandparents, he said. The new guardian is not usually aware of the issue until a screening, he said.

"Depending on where you are at these kids are going from apple juice in a bottle to apple juice in a sippy cup and then to soda by 5 years of age," Blumhagen said. "Fruit juices are most often about taking everything healthy out and just leave the sweet sugar."

Blumhagen said the children screened get a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. He also provides information for the kids to give parents regarding referrals and help locating a dentist if needed.

Heather Tomlin-Rohr, the kindergarten teacher at Louis L'Amour Elementary, said this is the first time in her 17 years of teaching that her students have had a dental screening. February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and she said the children are making models of teeth to learn brushing and flossing techniques.

"Dental health is extremely important for all children and I think it's great that Louis L'Amour School got picked to have this opportunity to have our kindergarten kids' mouths checked," she said. "There are a lot of kids at this age who haven't been to a dentist yet and so this is a great opportunity for us."

Painful teeth problems with children aren't always evident to others, said Toni Hruby, oral health prevention coordinator with the Oral Health Program of the North Dakota Department of Health.

"Poor oral health in children affects them more than you'd think," Hruby said. "It can be painful with eating, speaking, paying attention and focusing in school."

Each child and adult should have his or her own personal toothbrush and brush twice a day with fluoridated paste followed by flossing, she said. Younger children might need help with flossing from parents or older siblings, she said.

Establishing a relationship with a dentist early in life can help maintain good habits and catch problems early, she said. This also sets a healthy pattern that can follow a child through into adulthood, she said.

The state hygienist program now partners with private practitioners and federally qualified health centers to help the program cover the entire state, she said. It's also a way to follow up with kids and help connect families with a financial issue with dentists who can help, she said.

This is about relationship building and getting the trust of parents, Hruby said. That is the care coordination piece to help parents, she said.

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