Previous Story
CNMI joins celebration of kids’ dental health month
|
Posted on Feb 08 2006
The CNMI is joining the whole nation in celebrating and observing “National Children’s Dental Health Month” this February.
Through the initiative of the Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic, the children in the CNMI are once again reminded of their responsibilities in taking care of their teeth.
In line with this, dental hygienist Lori Demaine started visiting schools yesterday, beginning with Brilliant Star Montessori, where she was assisted by school principal Trisha Copeland.
Demaine held a brief presentation to at least 80 Brilliant Star Montessori students, teaching them proper dental hygiene, from the correct way to brush their teeth to taking care of their gums.
“It’s a U.S.-wide celebration and I am here to spread the message across the CNMI,” Demaine said.
In two weeks, she would visit other private and public schools to remind children to take care of their teeth and prevent dental decay before it starts. Students were also given free toothbrushes and stickers, courtesy of the clinic.
Demaine said she would also like to focus on educating the community about “baby bottle decay”—tooth decay manifesting itself among bottle-fed babies.
The Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic will also put up a billboard along one of the busy roads on Saipan about dental health care for children. Demaine said she would also publish articles in newspapers.
The annual observance of children’s dental health began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 3, 1941. The American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949. This single day observance became a weeklong event in 1955. In 1981, the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month.
