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To Celebrate February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month
EAST BRUNSWICK n Which senior citizens have healthy teeth?
The ones who learned good dental care as children.
That’s why Dr. Steven Susskind, a dentist in (469 Cranbury Road) East Brunswick, and his staff are promoting National Children’s Dental Health Month.
“A person’s dental care habits are learned as children,” Susskind said. “If as a child you are taught to brush after every meal, carefully floss daily and to visit the dentist at least twice a year, that’s probably what you will do for the rest of your life.
“But if you don’t even have floss in the house, your family rarely visits the dentist and brushing is something done once every day or so, those are the habits you’ll take with you to old age.”
To encourage good dental health and regular dental visits and to promote the importance of oral health, the American Dental Association sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month every February.
Dr. Susskind believes teaching dental health care to children is so important, he is going one step further. During the month of February, his office will offer a free dental exam and fluoride treatment to new patients, ages 5-12. (Find them on the web at SusskindDental.com).
“This is an opportunity to get children here and show them how to take care of their teeth,” he said. “We’re offering free education. And we will also talk to them about the condition of their teeth.”
The American Dental Association suggests that parents learn
*What to do in response to various dental emergencies from a tooth ache or a knocked-out tooth to a broken tooth or biting your tongue.
*How to reduce tooth decay in children and adults by cutting down the sugar in your diet from sugary foods, sodas and in-between meal snacks.
*How to use mouth guards to reduce tooth and mouth injuries in sports activities.
*Why to avoid the dangerous piercing of the tongue, lips or cheeks.
“Sugar and the reaction is causes in your mouth can help destroy your teeth,” Susskind said. “And drinking soda is like drinking liquid sugar. Every moment it sits on your teeth, it’s starting to eat away at them. That’s why it is so important to brush and rinse your mouth after every meal. Even better, you should cut down on the sugar you eat.”
The Susskind Dental office does regular community outreach. For the last two years on Halloween, the office has held a candy buyback n encouraging children to come in with their extra candy. The office pays $1 a pound up to 5 pounds and the candy is sent to U.S. soldiers overseas. This year, Dr. Susskind and his staff collected more than 450 pounds of candy. In addition, the dentist and his staff do educational presentations at schools to encourage good dental health.
“Dentistry is not just about caring for your patients’ teeth,” Susskind said. “It’s about education. Teaching and learning good dental health care is vital.”
