Seventeen preschool children from the Child Development Center (CDC) visited the dental center in the Branch Health Clinic Bangor on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.

The visit was part of the Dental Centers celebration of Children’s Dental Health month for the month of February.

The American Dental Association (ADA) began recognizing February as National Children’s Health Month in 1981. This year’s theme is “A Healthy Smile is Always in Style”.

The CDC is one of several schools that representatives from the dental clinic visited throughout the month. Dental technicians from the clinic visited Gordon Elementary on Feb. 10, Pulsbo Elementary on Feb. 11 and the CDC on Feb. 22, 24 and 25.

“The dental clinic has an obligation to the community as well as to the military,” said Dental Technician 2nd Class (SW/AW) Anthony Booker, a hygienist at the clinic. “Children’s Dental Health month gives us an opportunity to get out and tell kids that dental health is important and it lets people in the community know that we care about them.”

The children at CDC started their dental experience in the classroom where they watched a dentistry video. This was followed by a puppet show where the kids got to brush the puppets teeth in order to learn proper technique. Then they had a question and answer period before finally taking a field trip to the dental clinic to see dentistry up close and personal. At the clinic they saw the dental lab, hygiene and surgery.

“We did this to keep kids informed and to aid with prevention,” said Booker. “It gets them accustomed to coming to the dentist. When they come here, we show them stuff that lets them know they don’t have to be afraid of the dentist. They hear the horror stories about root canals and wisdom teeth. They don’t even know what these things are yet but they know it’s painful. When we get them here we can show them that it’s not always painful.”

The celebration of Children’s Dental Health month has been especially popular at the dental clinic this year. They had so many requests for visits from clinic representatives that they may be extending their celebration through March so they can visit other schools. For dental technicians at the clinic, that means more of an opportunity to educate the community.

“I love to work with kids,” said Booker. “I enjoy volunteering in the community to be with kids.  It’s important for them to learn about dental hygiene. It’s important for parents and kids to know about fluoride and whether or not the area they live in has fluoridated water. Fluoride protects teeth from cavities and also strengthens kids bones so they don’t develop osteoporosis when they get older. It’s things like this that we try to teach people when we get out into the community.”