Nov. 07--MINERSVILLE -- A healthy smile is a healthy child.
That's the message on pamphlets that will accompany a locally produced video about dental care in child health care buildings throughout Schuyl-kill County as part of a Child Development Inc. program.
The program, called "Schuylkill Smiles," aims to educate parents and children about tooth decay.
Child Development is a private, nonprofit and family-based agency designed to foster child development and provides a variety of services to children, including those with disabilities, and their families for more than 75 years in the county.
Its first dental program was held Aug. 10 at the Pottsville McDonald's Restaurant, and the latest efforts were made possible by a $7,388 grant from the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of Northeastern Pennsylvania through the efforts of Wayne Pace, owner and operator of the McDonald's in Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven.
"We already see cavities in some of the kids that come here at 3 years old," said Allison Wollyung, Child Development health services manager. "But it's not just the children here, it's across the county. It's a problem nationally and worldwide."
Dental exams are provided for children by Child Development twice a year. As of March, 399 children participated in dental screenings for the 2010-11 program year, with 139 of those children between the ages of 3 and 5 needing follow-up care and only 27 actually receiving the care they needed, according to Child Development.
"The program is really designed for parents," said Mary Ann Devlin, Child Development Inc. executive director. "A lot of parents don't understand what's involved with tooth decay and how to prevent it. The information helps parents understand how it can be prevented with a few really simple steps."
A short questionnaire about the video is also included and can be returned for a chance to win a $50 VISA gift card, which will be awarded monthly. More tips are also available for parents if they join the mailing list.
According to Child Development, Schuylkill County is a "medically underserved area" for dentists, exceeding the 3,000 persons to dental practitioner ratio.
However, those involved in the dental initiative believe the best way to solve this problem is to prevent tooth decay from happening in the first place.
"The program is really about education," said Dr. Melissa Burke, a Pottsville dentist involved with the development of the program. "We need to get at it before it starts, before the children have to go to the doctor's office or the hospital."
Real images of children's teeth as a result of tooth decay begin the informational video.
"The pictures are truthful," said Burke. "It's not pretty, but that's the reality. That's really what they will look like."
The video was already shown during Child Development's Back to School Night, and managers said they have already seen positive results.
"The images really hit the child," said Marie Groody, Child Development early child service manager. "They get it. They understand that this is what will happen."
The rest of the video features a typical visit for a child at the dentist. Burke said this was done to help eliminate the fear of going to the dentist for both the child and parents.
Burke is also available to answer questions online with her monthly "Dr. Mom" column on the Child Development website. Along with viewing previous answers, questions can be asked by visiting the Ask the Dentist section of www.childdevelop.org.
"Prevention is really simple with some very small lifestyle changes," said Burke. "We really want to make this common knowledge for parents and child to tackle these problems."
According to the pamphlet, tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, with more than half of the children in the United States having had at least one cavity by age 5, and eight cavities by the time they are 17.
"Jumping ahead three years, we could see the effects of the program," said Burke. "It is a measurable fact. You can count the cavities and see the improvements."
For more information, visit www.childdevelop.org. The video is also available online, and anyone interested in having the video shown at their health office can call Child Development Inc. at 570-544-8959.
Televisions purchased with the grant are being rotated around local child health and service centers, starting with Blue Mountain Pediatrics, Schuylkill Haven.
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