Van Takes Time For Children's Teeth

STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF Stephanie Ableitner, left, a dental hygienist with Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics in Fayetteville, plays Thursday with Aurora Patrick, 1, from Bentonville, while her mother Dominique Patrick fills out consent forms for Aurora to get a free dental screening in the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Mobile Dental Van while it makes a visit to the Walmart Supercenter in Bentonville. The mobile unit provides free dental screenings, dental health information and care kits for children up to 12 years old.
STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF Stephanie Ableitner, left, a dental hygienist with Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics in Fayetteville, plays Thursday with Aurora Patrick, 1, from Bentonville, while her mother Dominique Patrick fills out consent forms for Aurora to get a free dental screening in the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Mobile Dental Van while it makes a visit to the Walmart Supercenter in Bentonville. The mobile unit provides free dental screenings, dental health information and care kits for children up to 12 years old.

BENTONVILLE -- Dental screenings aren't normally something you can get at a Walmart.

They were available, however, at the Walmart Supercenter on Thursday afternoon for children. Parked just outside the entrance was a recreational vehicle equipped with two dental chairs and staffed by a dental hygienist. Free dental screenings were offered to all kids 12 and younger who came aboard.

At A Glance

Children And Teeth

Tooth decay and other oral diseases that can affect children are preventable. Here are some things parents and caregivers can do to ensure good oral health for their children:

• Encourage children to eat nutritious meals and avoid frequent between-meal snacks.

• Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride. Use a fluoride toothpaste.

• Talk to your child’s dentist about dental sealants. They protect teeth from decay.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The recreational vehicle was a Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures mobile dental van, one of eight touring tour the country providing screenings to kids and educating them and their families about oral health.

Dominique Patrick of Bentonville brought her 14-month-old daughter, Aurora, into the van for a screening. Patrick laid back on the dentist chair with Aurora on her chest while Stephanie Ableitner, the hygienist, felt the inside of Aurora's mouth.

"You're starting to get some teeth in there," Ableitner said.

Aurora squirmed and whimpered a bit but otherwise didn't put up much of a fight.

Ableitner, who works for Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics in Fayetteville, said it's good to start bringing a child to see a dentist by age 1, mainly to make sure everything is developing correctly and the child has no major issues.

After a screening, parents received a "report card" on their child's oral hygiene and dental health. That report card informed parents on how well the child was brushing and flossing and whether the child needed to see a dentist soon. Dentist referrals were offered if necessary.

Every child also received a bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and some coupons.

The dental van spent two hours at the Bentonville Supercenter. Within the first hour Ableitner had seen 13 kids. Most came out with good evaluations.

"That wasn't bad at all," said Brandon Wilker, 4, after his screening.

The van's visit was tied to the Simple Giving program run by Champions for Kids, a Fayetteville-based nonprofit organization. Walmart stores across several states are collecting donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste and hand soap that will be routed to those stores' local school districts to help provide oral care to kids in need.

The goal is to collect 1 million items during the two-week period that began this week, said Blake Brandes, chief program officer for Champions for Kids.

The Bright Smiles, Bright Futures van in Bentonville on Thursday is based in Chicago and travels across seven states. according to Paul Van Ostenbridge, community awareness representative for Colgate. During a recent stop in Topeka, Kan., the van served 371 children, he said.

Tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral and dental health is something that sometimes gets neglected, especially for families that have fallen on hard times because they can't afford a trip to the dentist, Van Ostenbridge said.

"You get some of these kids on board who are 6, 7 or 8 years old and have never been to a dentist before," he said.

Oral health isn't a problem for Logan Kelton, 8, of Bentonville who stepped aboard the van with his mother, Christy Kelton. They stopped by after having picked up a new toothbrush and toothpaste in Walmart for Logan.

"It's really good. I like it," Christy Kelton said about the dental van. "It helps parents to see if there are any signs of problems."

The van will be open from 3 to 5 p.m. today at the Walmart Supercenter at 2110 W. Walnut St. in Rogers and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Walmart Supercenter at 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd. in Rogers.

NW News on 03/28/2014

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