Save a Smile - A Thanksgiving Story
By Dr. Linda Niessen -- Baylor College of Dentistry STORY: SAVE A SMILE SCRIPT #533 SHOOT: 11/12/03 AIRDATE: Monday, Nov. 24, 2003
Monday, November 24, 2003
NOTE: Save A Smile dentists are working with five Fort Worth elementary schools. They hope to expand the program by recruiting more dentists who will treat school children for free.
In many Texas public schools, dental pain is the number one reason children go to the school nurse. Now, those nurses are helping children get free treatment through a new program in Tarrant County. Dr. Linda Niessen has details in today's
At age six, Claudia Gil sees a dentist for the first time. She suffers from the pain of having 13 cavities and one abscessed tooth that required immediate attention. Her dentist, Dr. Jack Morrow, explains the diagnosis to Claudia's mother.
"This is the infection up in the bone and its surrounding the permanent tooth," said Morrow. "That's why we need to get this treated real quickly so that the infection won't damage that permanent tooth."
Dr. Dale Martin added, "We let schools know that we're here, that we can be of assistance. And we can get these kids in and hopefully keep them from being in too much pain."
Dentists such as Dr. Martin and Dr. Morrow diagnose and treat young patients for free. They are among 32 dentists in the Fort Worth area who participate in a new program called "Save A Smile." Leading the program is Dr. Tonya Fuqua of Southlake.
"The Save A Smile mission is to keep Save A Smile Program children cavity free and in school," said Dr. Fuqua. "We go in and we screen all elementary children."
So far, Save A Smile has screened almost five thousand children. Dentists found 500 young students who had multiple cavities.
"So many kids have dental pain, dental problems. It's the largest cause of absenteeism in the schools," said Ginny Hickman of Cook Children's Medical Center, which supports Save A Smile. So do school nurses who work with a group called Communities in Schools. "Many of these children have not seen a dentist before."
Dr. Morrow was successful in relieving young Claudia's dental pain. But it will take several more visits to restore her health.
Untreated tooth decay can be so painful that children can't concentrate and learn. So what's at stake is not just kids' health but also their education. For Baylor College of Dentistry, The Texas A & M Health Science Center, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
