STORY: Child Tooth Decay

SCRIPT # 550 SHOOT: 3/4/04

AIRDATE: Monday, March 22, 2004

DHC Master #19 Timecode: 12:33 Dentists see a new trend among American

children: a different pattern of tooth decay.

Dr. Linda Niessen reports a rise in cavities

among children with dental sealants.

Details in today’s segment of Dental Health

sovt: 1:36 Check.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEETH BEING SEALED (VOICE-OVER)

Dental sealants protect only the chewing

surfaces of the teeth. Decay can develop

on the sides and especially at contact

points between teeth. We call decay in these hard to reach areas “interproximal.”

SUPER: Dr. Linda Steele (“Cavities in my practice between the

Pediatric Dentist :15-20 teeth are very common. I actually see

more of that now than I’m seeing cavities

on the biting surfaces of the teeth.”)

DR. STEELE AT WORK Many pediatric dentists such as Dr. Linda

Steele are detecting more interproximal

decay than traditional cavities on top

of teeth.

DR. STEELE (“Our American diet is loaded with sugar.”)

X-RAYS OF TEETH, ETC A diet high in sugar plays a role. So do

oral hygiene habits, especially flossing.

DR. STEELE (“Usually I ask my parents if they are

flossers themselves, because that’s a key

thing.”)

CONNOR COMING IN WITH MOM Five year old Connor Mushinski has two cavities between baby teeth, a surprising

SUPER: Coppell :44-49 diagnosis for his parents.

SUPER: Karen Mushinski (“The ones in between the teeth like

Connor’s Mother :51-56 Connor has are hard to spot. And you

brush and all those things are you don’t

quite get everything apparently. Because

I was a little surprised when he had cavities.”)

CHILD GETTING X-RAYS Dentists often detect interproximal decay

through routine dental x-rays.

DR. STEELE (“They need check-ups every six months and x-rays once a year.”)

DR. STEELE TALKING ABOUT A check-up may be the best time for

FLOSSING a flossing lesson.

DR. STEELE INSTRUCTING (“Wrap the floss around one tooth. Pull it

out. And then the other tooth and pull it

out.”)

DR. STEELE (“Child can lay their head down on the parent’s lap. The parent can sit on the

sofa. Child can look up. And the parent

can floss the child’s teeth.”)

ON CAMERA (STAND-UP CLOSE)

SUPER: Dr. Linda Niessen Like most things, parents set the example.

Baylor College of Dentistry Make sure your children sees you floss

1:26-1:30 so you can help them develop the habit.

For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas

A&M System, I’m Dr. Linda Niessen,

Channel 8 News.

For viewer inquires:

Dr. Linda Steele

Infant, Child, and Adolescent Dentistry

260 North Denton Tap Road

Princeton Park, Suite 100

Coppell, TX

972-304-3311