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  February is Children’s Dental Health Month

DETROIT - In honor of Children’s Dental Health Month, Authority Health in partnership with Partners in Wellness at the McKenny Center will be collaborating with the University of Detroit-Mercy Dental Mobile Unit to provide low cost dental services for 21 children attending the Development Center Head Start program at McKenny Center as well as and nine expectant mothers receiving support services from the Development Center.

The eight-chair mobile unit will be stationed in the parking lot at the McKenny Center – 19750 Burt Rd. Detroit, MI 48219, for three days (Feb 19-21, 10am-2pm).

Dental and oral care is important during the toddler years because children need strong teeth as their diet changes from liquid to solid and chewable foods. Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when a child’s teeth have been exposed to sugar for a prolonged period like putting a child to bed with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. This increases the chance of cavities and decreased gum health and is the leading cause of tooth decay in the front teeth and can affect their chewing, speech development, and self-image.

"Good dental hygiene has a significant impact on the overall health of your child. Many people don't know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children should have their first dental exam within six months of getting their first tooth! This can be done by a local dentist or your pediatrician,” says Chaya Pittman-Hunt D.O, Pediatrics Director with Authority Health. “Prevention is key, so a parent should consult with their doctor about the tips and tricks to keep your children's teeth as healthy as possible! "

The nurse home visitors of the Detroit Nurse-Family Partnership presented by Authority Health offers these tips to prevent baby bottle tooth decay to their clientele of first-time mothers:
• Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe the child’s gums after each feeding.
• Infants should finish feeding prior to their bedtime.
• When teeth come into about 6 years of age, only a smear of toothpaste should be used on a child-sized toothbrush.
• Tooth brushing should be supervised until the child can be counted on to spit out and not swallow toothpaste.
• Avoid filling the baby’s bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks.
• Children should be encouraged to drink from a cup by their first birthday.

“It is our responsibility as parents to protect our babies gum health, that will ultimately lead to healthy teeth,” says Sharon Burnett, Director, Nurse-Family Partnership. “The nurses at Authority Health, Nurse-Family Partnership is committed to teaching our mothers the importance of good dental care for themselves as well as their babies”.

To find out more about the Detroit Nurse Family Partnership program presented by Authority Health, please contact Lee Watson at 313.871.3751 x 114. For more information on this and other health related topics, please go to www.authorityhealth.org.


 

 

 

   
 

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