SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.
Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. This year's campaign features the slogan "Get a gold medal smile!"
To help spread the word, the 82nd Dental Squadron will be providing presentations at Sheppard Elementary School on Feb. 26-27 in the morning. Dental staff will have dental stations in classrooms for children in kindergarden through 6th grade.
The children will be learning valuable information concerning proper oral hygiene, nutrition, cavity formation and sealants. If you have any questions concerning your child's teeth please don't hesitate to call your child's dentist. If you do not have a dentist and are enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program, you can visit
https://mybenefits.metlife.com/tricare for more information and to enroll.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact the Sheppard Dental Clinic at 676-4474/1846. The following is some good information about oral health from the American Dental Association.
Are you prepared for a dental emergency?
Thousands of dental emergencies--from injuries to a painful, abscessed tooth--take place every day. Would you know what to do if your child broke a tooth or had a tooth knocked out while playing outdoors? What if you had a bad toothache in the middle of the night and couldn't get to the dentist until the next day? Knowing what to do can lessen the pain and save a tooth that might otherwise be lost.
Keep your dental office phone number and an emergency number where the dentist can be reached after hours with other emergency numbers, such as your family doctor, and fire and police departments. Some families post these numbers on the refrigerator or inside a kitchen cabinet door near the phone. Call the dentist immediately for instructions on how to handle a dental emergency.