Video games, murals, DVD’s to watch — not what you necessarily think of when you have a toothache or need a cleaning. Welcome to the world of pediatric dentistry.
Thanks to improved technology and a focus on making kids fell comfortable, many children no longer dread a visit to the dentist’s office. These days, pediatric dentists offer dental care in an environment that suits everyone from toddlers to teens.
Everything here, from our color scheme to our office furnishings, is meant to make children feel comfortable, emotionally and physically. Offices now have headphones with TVs, video games, books — anything to ease a child’s fears, said Dr. Nicole Byrne, D.D.S., of her new office in Wilton.
According to some pediatric dentists, establishing a sense of trust between the parent and the doctor is important to easing a child’s apprehensiveness. Many parents agree.
`My experience with taking my children to Dr. Byrne’s office has been absolutely wonderful because she understands children and always gets it right,` said Wilton mom Nicole Rock whose two daughters who are patients of Byrne’s.
Byrne said as a child she didn’t even know pediatric dentists existed. She said that pediatric dentistry has evolved and grown tremendously over the past few years. As taught by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, or AAPD, Byrne said dentists are encouraged to emphasize the theory of comprehensive early intervention to avoid cavities.
`We now know that habits such as grazing (continually snacking throughout the day), overuse of the sippy cup and going to bed with a bottle can greatly increase a child’s chance of cavities,` said Byrne.
According to pediatric dentist Lawrence Kotlow, D.D.S, P.C., of Albany, pediatric dentists receive two years of additional training that specializes in children’s oral health. Kotlow said in these two years, dentists learn how to detect abnormalities, how to work on children with disabilities, as well as the key components of early intervention. Kotlow said even though pediatric dentists now have more of a presence than ever before, he has actually been practicing for 32 years.
Kotlow said most pediatricians recommend children first see the dentist when they are 3. He says the sooner the better.
`Starting at birth, clean your baby’s gums with a clean damp washcloth. As soon as teeth erupt, begin using a very small soft bristled toothbrush. From a dental perspective, primary teeth act as a placeholder in the jaw for the development of permanent teeth, and it’s important to properly care for them,` said Kotlow.
According to the AAPD, your child should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday followed by regular checkups every six months. By age 5, children should be able to brush their teeth on their own, twice a day with supervision. The New York Pediatric Dentistry Web site says brushing at a 45-degree angle in a circular motion is the proper way to teach children to brush.
When problems do arise, pediatric dentists often try to save and restore children’s teeth, sometimes using a technique called pulpotomy. This procedure removes the diseased pulp tissue within the crown portion while preventing any new bacterial growth.
`Any time we can save a tooth we do, if the technique is out there, we know it and we have experience with it,` said Kotlow.
Sedation therapy is used with children who may need extensive work done such as fillings, crowns or pulpotomys. A mild sedative is administered to the child as a way to calm and relax him or her. Many dentists feel one stressful visit to the dentist can make a child hate the dentist for life.
`We want children to feel comfortable and not be afraid,` said Byrne.
Pediatric dentists encourage parents to stay away from terms such as `needle,` `drill` and `hurt` — anything that may be intimidating. It is also recommended that parents talk to their children about a scheduled visit beforehand so they know what to expect.
The AAPD uses the logic that if you take your child to a pediatrician than why not to a pediatric dentist since that is their specialty.
Parents and dentists, pediatric or not, all agree regular brushing, flossing, and visits to the dentist are the key to good oral health. Having the comforts of home just makes it all a little bit easier.
SIDEBAR: Reasons to smile
Local dentists donate their services and more to those in need
By ANN MARIE FRENCH, Spotlight Staff
No doubt you have seen celebrities like Roma Downey and Jessica Simpson speaking in support of the international volunteer organization Operation Smile, a program that provides free dental surgery around the world to children with facial deformities. You may not realize that a number of local dentists offer their time, expertise and resources to help out children and families closer to home.
`As a profession, they donate a lot of care,` said Sandy DiNoto, director of public relations for the New York State Dental Association. A constituent of the American Dental Association, the NYS Dental Association boasts about 14,000 members.
Research completed by the ADA found that `dentists in private practice provided an estimated $1.7 billion in donated dental treatment.`
`I feel very strongly about giving back,` said dentist Virginia Plaisted of Bethlehem Dental Arts. `We’ve been given a gift.`
Plaisted, who has been working as a dentist in the area for the past 20 years, said her volunteer work began in the early ’90s when she provided education to the residents of St. Peter’s Hospital. More recently Plaisted has been offering her services to area people who really need the dental care but might not have the means to obtain it.
`It has to be done,` said Plaisted of the work. `I said I’m going to do it. I enjoy doing this.`
The work done for the patient depends on their individual needs and circumstances, said Plaisted. While some people are referred to her, others are existing patients. Typically she assists several people each year in this capacity.
Plaisted said the benefit to donating her time and services in this way is that there are no administrative costs associated with the work since the office absorbs those costs as part of the regular practice.
Like Plaisted, dentists Robert Herzog and William Primomo said they feel that giving back to the community is a vital part of their practice. Primomo’s father, Gene, started the practice more than 50 years ago and incorporated that idea as part of the work atmosphere. The practice offers an annual scholarship in his memory each year to a Bethlehem High School graduate pursuing a college education in the health field.
`My father was always doing things for people when they needed help,` said Primomo. `It wasn’t necessarily organized.`
Primomo said his father had gone to Mexico to provide dental assistance to those in need, but it was his local work that has served as the example for himself and the rest of the practice.
`This year we asked our staff to come up with a project,` said Herzog. The group of 12 staff members has created a clothing storage and distribution center in some spare space within the office. Clothes are collected and distributed through local churches and other agencies to families in need.
Both dentists and members of the office staff volunteer to speak at area schools during February’s National Children’s Dental Month. Conversations in the schools center on oral hygiene and diet.
`We try to spread good cheer and promote oral health education,` said Herzog. `We are one of the only professions that speaks about prevention.`
Topics for younger children might include how often to brush, ways to maintain their oral health, and creating an awareness of the amount of sugar in their diet. Older children will learn about dental health issues such as sports injuries, tongue piercing and tobacco usage.
`Hopefully their own dentists and the parents are giving them the same messages,` said Primomo. `We are there as positive reinforcement.`
The practice has made a point of partnering with local churches to identify children and families who might be in need of dental services. Herzog said there are a lot of needy families in the area.
`We try to do it in a way that isn’t intimidating,` said Herzog.
Plaisted said that those who benefit from the donated time and services find that completion of the work makes a big difference in their self-esteem, as well as other areas of their life.
Herzog and Primomo donate oral care products to the Battered Women’s Shelter and Eddy Home Care. It’s also not unusual to find them offering rides to their elderly patients or making house calls to homebound patients.
Still the generosity is not constrained to dental care alone. Herzog has been involved with the Boy Scouts since the early ’70s and serves as the Cub Master for Slingerlands Pack 272 and Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 58.
His leadership and guidance has been behind the annual Toys for Tots drive the Scouts complete each year. Additionally, the groups have collected food for military service members serving overseas, making and delivering holiday ornaments to Delmar Place, and participating in the annual Scouting for Food Drive in which hundreds of non-perishable items were collected for the Bethlehem Food Pantry.
Herzog sponsored two cars at last year’s Soap Box Derby in Albany. He also sponsors and serves as coach to the Mechanical Hedgehogs, a middle school team that competed in the 2006 Lego Robotics competition at RPI in December.
`I’m a scheduler and a planner,` said Herzog when asked where he finds the time. `There has to be a balance in life. I have worked hard to get where I am and felt it was time to give back.`
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