86th Dental Squadron plans Little Teeth, Big Smiles Clinic

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  • 86th Dental Squadron
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The 86th Dental Squadron at Ramstein Air Base will host its biannual free Children's Clinic 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 20.

This event is generally held twice a year, once in the spring and then again in fall during which dentists and dental technicians are available to provide free dental examinations, x-rays and cleanings for children, and well-baby exams for infants and toddlers.

To prepare for this upcoming event the clinic will be posting common questions that parents have about their child's dental health and give readers (parents and children) the opportunity to submit their answers for a chance to be entered into a prize drawing held during the event.

All responses should be sent to LittleTeethBigSmiles@yahoo.com with name and contact info if you'd like to be entered into the prize drawing. The clinic will anonymously post all correct responses they receive in the Kaiserslautern American.

Q: What is preventive dentistry?

Q: When should preventive dentistry start?

Q: How can parents help prevent tooth decay?

Q: Are baby teeth really that important to a child?

For more information about this event contact Master Sgt. Eric Anderson or Senior Airman Rachel Hentrich at 479-2210.

Quick Tips for Busy Parents: "I Don't Wanna Brush!!"

According to the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. William C. Berlocher, "A pediatric dentist's average day in the office includes a number of encounters with children who are initially not cooperative. Sometimes this uncooperative behavior is a result of a child being anxious in a new and foreign environment. Other times it is simply a child manifesting some recently appreciated control in their lives."

Fear of the unknown is usually handled quite easily using several basic behavior guidance tools. These are:

Tell/Show/Do - a technique that involves explanation of procedures in age-appropriate levels (Tell), demonstration of the procedure in a carefully defined, nonthreatening setting (Show) and then without deviating from the explanation and demonstration, completion of the procedure (Do).

Positive Reinforcement - positive feedback is used to reward desired behavior and strengthen the recurrence of these behaviors.

Modeling - a technique that involves allowing children to observe activities that are new to them by watching other more experienced children engage in these activities.

"Children who have discovered they have some control in their lives and are resistive to their parent's direction and instruction can be a more challenging issue," said Dr. Berlocher. "A term that I've found to be extremely useful in these situations is 'cheerful persistence.' First of all, parents need to be positive and keep a smile on their face when working with their child. Parents give many nonverbal cues to their children. If you go into a tooth-brushing session looking like you're going to war, more than likely it will be just that! Secondly, oral hygiene is something that works only if it is undertaken on a regular basis. Therefore, daily brushing is a must. Avoiding tooth brushing because of the potential for a clash between a child and parent dramatically increases the potential for development of dental cavities."  (Courtesy of 86th Dental Squadron)