THE YANCEY JOURNAL FEBRUARY 2, 1978 PAGE 3
Schools Observe Nat’l Children’s Dental Health Week
School children across the
state as well as the nation will
be learning new ways of
taking better care of their
teeth during National Child
ren's Dental Health Week,
February 5-11. And they will
be learning, in most cases
from the people whose busi
ness it is to know--dentists,
dental hygienists, and dental
assistants.
In many counties teachers
will welcome these dental
health experts into their
classroom to discuss dental
health and to demonstrate
sound methods of oral hy
giene according to Dr. E.A.
Pearson, Jr., Director of the
State Board of Health’s
Dental Health Division.
Schools in Yancey County
will have a dental hygienist
visiting during the week to
talk to students about better
dental care.
The theme of the Ameri
can Dental Association for
this year is “Smile America”.
In order to give North
Carolina children something
to smile about, the Dental
Health Section, N.C. Division
of Health Services, has
adopted the slogan, “Snack
Right for Dental Health.”
Schools across the state will
observe the special week by
contests, posters, skits, bulle
tin boards and making their
own nutritional snacks.
State Superintendent of
Public Instruction Craig Phil
lips is urging school systems
across the state for their
continued support or initiation
of a Preventive Dental Health
Program. The Steering Com
mittee for a Preventive Dental
Health Program. The Steering
Committee for a Preventive
Dental Health Program for
North Carolina Children has
pledged a reduction in dental
disease in the population 20
years of age and under, and a
40% reduction in dental
disease in the population of
ten years of age and under.
Members of the steering
committee are comprised of
representatives from the N.C.
Dental Society, Dept, of
Public Instruction, University
of North Carolina School of
Dentistry, Dental Health Sec
tion -of the Dept, of Human
Resources, Dental Assistant
Association, North Carolina
Dental Hygienists,, and the
N.C. Association of Local
Health Directors.
According to State Super
intendent Phillips, over 4,000
elementary teachers and
teachers in day care and
headstart centers have been
trained in preventive dental
health in special workshops
where they learn dental
disease processes, plaque
control techniques, the rela
tionship of good nutrition to
dental health, and methods of
teaching preventive dental
health. Preventive dental
health education was provi
ded to 230.000 children in
grades K-6 during the 1976-77
school year by a state
employed staff. Also a sodium
fluoride mouthrinse program
is now being administered to
286,845 school children in 800
schools in 70 counties, and the
program is growing.
Questions-Answers
The dentist has told us
that our 18-year-old son has
gum disease. How can this
Wildlife
Report
For 1977
Yancey County deer hun
ters in 1977 reported 128 deer
harvested versus 163 in 1976.
The lower number of reports
this year is partly due to the
extensive flood damage pre
venting numbers of hunters
from hunting. Bad weather
was another factor involved,
according to Vic Vansant,
Wildlife Biologist.
However, our records pro
bably aren't complete as some
deer are not tagged and
reported to Wildlife Coopera
tor Agents, said Vansant.
;Records supplied through
^hese agents are valuable in
jmanaging the North Carolina
[deer herd. The N.C. Wildlife
[Resources Commission would
[like to express appreciation to
■Cooperator Agents and hun-
iters for providing them with
these records.
develop in someone so young?
Gum disease accounts for
the greatest amount of tooth
loss in adults, but it also
affects children. According to
recent U.S. Department of
Health. Education and Wel
fare statistics, approximately
68 percent of the nation’s
youlJi have some visible form
of periodontal or gum disease-
generally of a mild type.
Unfortunately, unless pre
ventive measures are taken,
the disease progresses over a
long period of time with little
or no pain, destroying the
gums, bone and other struc
tures that support the teeth.
Often a large percentage of
periodontal problems in later
life can be traced to neglect or
improper care of the mouth
during childhood.
The problem begins with
dental plaque which is the
sticky, colorless substance
that forms constantly on
everyone’s teeth. The bacter
ia in plaque utilizes the sugars
you eat to produce harmful
acids that attack the teeth and
cause caries. But this same
substance also irritates the
gums, making them tender
and likely to bleed. If plaque
is not removed daily by
careful brushing and flossing,
it will thicken into a deposit
called calculus. As the calcu
lus accumulates, the gums
slowly detach from the teeth
leaving deep pockets where
bacteria and debris collect.
Eventually, if left un
treated, the tissues and bones
around the teeth are destroy
ed and healthy teeth loosen
and are lost.
There generally are two
stages of periodontal disease:
Gingivitis or inflamed gums
and periodontitis which in
volves the bones supporting
the teeth.
The best method of
prevention is regular brush
ing and flossing, regular visits
to your family dentist, and
proper nutrition.
Our Student Council has
been asked to consider the
removal of candy bars from
vending machines in our
school. What effect do such
snacks have on our teeth?
Snacking on candy bars or
sugary soft drinks is probably
the worst thing you can do to
your teeth.
Each time you eat foods
containing sugars, certain
bacteria in the mouth are
stimulated to create acids that
attack the tooth enamel. This
bacteria is found in a sticky,
colorless film called plaque
that forms continuously on
everyone’s teeth.
The greatest damage oc
curs within the First 20
minutes after eating sweet
foods. So the more often you
eat foods containing sugar,
the more often the acids have
an opportunity to accumulate
on your teeth to act on the
enamel.
One answer to the prob
lem is to limit .the number of
times you eat sugary foods
each day. In other words,
confine your intake of sugary
foods to regular mealtimes
and avoid those between-meal
snacks.
Instead of selecting sweets
in the vending machine or at
the corner snack shop, look
for sugar-free candy or gum
and soft drinks, fresh fruits,
milk, cheese, soda crackers,
potato chips, popcorn or
peanuts.
I was amazed to learn
recently that it may be
harmful to my baby’s teeth to
give him a bottle at bedtime.
Can you explain why?
The content of the bedtime
bottle may be harmful to your
baby’s teeth. An infant who is
given a bottle at bedtime can
be a prime candidate for
rampant dental decay, a
condition called “nursing
bottle mouth.”
This is because as liquids
containing sugar are con
sumed, they combine with the
plaque that constantly grows
on the surface of the teeth.
The sugar from the liquid
interacts with the bacteria in
plaque to form acids that eat
away at the tooth enamel. The
length of time these acids are
in contact with the teeth is a
mjaor factor.
Normal bottle feeding
does not contribute to this
condition since the baby who
takes a bottle while awake
swallows the fluids quickly.
But if he is drowsy, or asleep,
his normal salivary flow and
swallowing processes de
crease. The tongue and the
nipple tend to pool the sugary
liquid around the top front
tooth which are the ones most
frequently affected.
If you feel that your baby
receives comfort and security
from a bedtime bottle, fill it
only with plain water. Fluids
containing sugar such as
Yancey Highway
Accident Report
A one-car accident on
Saturday, January 21 at 12:30
p.m. occurred on Windy Gap
Road. Marshall Yarbrough.
16, of Anderson, S.C. was
driving a 1974 Audi north,
entered a curve, and was
unable to make the turn and
ran off the side of the road.
The road was extremely slick
due to ice and snow.
Damage was estimated at
$400 to the Audi. Trooper
A.L. Cooper investigated.
Melvin Choate, 22. of
Route 2. Burnsville was
involved in a one car accident
on Sunday, January 22. at
7:00 p.m. Choate was driving
a 1956 International Truck
north on US I9E. The vehicle
ran off the right side of the
road, struck a guard rail,
came back onto the highway,
then struck the guard rail and
stopped.
Damage was estimated at
$500 to the truck. Choate was
charged with larceny of motor
vehicle, and revoked license.
Trooper A.T. Morrison inves-
tigatedi
A two-car accident on
Tuesday, January 24, at 9:30
a.m. occurred on Halls Chapel
Road 12 miles south of
Burnsville. Robert Geouge,
33, of Route 5, Burnsville was
driving a 1971 Ford north.
Jerry Cade. 31, of Route 5,
Burnsville was driving a 1975
Dodge station wagon south.
As vehicles entered a
curve. Cade was unable to
steer his vehicle back to the
right half of the roadway
before striking the oncoming
Ford.
Damage was estimated at
$600 to the Ford and $400 to
the Dodge. Trooper T.L.
Rogers investigated.
An accident on Wednes
day. January 25, at 3;.30 p.m.
occurred on US 19E at the
formula or fruit juices can
cause decay--particularly if
they remain in the mouth for
an extended period of time.
To save your baby’s teeth,
remember to cleanse his
mouth and teeth after each
feeding with a clean cloth or
gauze pad.
In addition, check content
labels on baby foods. Look for
foods that do not contain
sugar.
I have heard conflicting
stories about the dangers of
radiation. Is exposure to
dental X-rays harmful?
, intersection of NC 197. Annie
Briggs, 40, of Route 1,
Burnsville was driving a 1972
Chevrolet north on US 19E
and attempted to make a left
turn onto NC 197. Hazel
Gregory, 21, of Route 3,
Burnsville was driving a
1973 Pontiac south and struck
vehicle 1 in the left rear as she
was making her turn.
Damage was estimated at
$250 to the Briggs Chevrolet.
Annie Briggs was charged
with failing to yield. Trooper
A.T. Morrison investigated.
An accident on US 19E
occurred on Friday, January
27, at 5:05 p.m. Doris
Buchanan, 33, of Route 5,
Burnsville was driving a 1967
Mercury, traveling south,
approaching the Wilkie Ran
dolph Store. Catherine Fox,
24, of Route 1, Burnsville was
driving a 1965 Ford in the
store parking lot and intended
to enter US 19E. A large oil
truck was blocking vehicle 2’s
vision and under the direction
of a pedestrian, the driver of
the Ford pulled out into the
edge of the roadway and
struck the Mercury.
Damage was estimated at
$300 to the Buchanan Mer
cury and $200 to the Fox Ford.
Trooper W.J. Stallings inves
tigated.
An accident on- Saturday,
January 28. at 3:15 p.m.
involved Alma Parker, 46, of
Route 1, Spruce Pine. Ms.
Parker was driving a 1976
Chevrolet north on NC 197,
ran across a patch of solid ice.
She lost control of her car,
skidded off the right side of
the road, struck a 10 ft.
embankment and came back
onto NC 197.
Damage was estimated at
$600 to the Chevrolet. Troop
er A.T. Morrison investi
gated.
Dental x-ray examinations
made with modem methods
and safeguards pose no
danger to your health. Your
dentist and his staff have
been trained to prevent
unnecessary radiation and to
plan carefully to use the least
exposure possible. The
amount of radiation which
reaches the more sensitive
cells of the body is only a
small percentage of the
annual natural background
radiation to which man is
inherently subjected.
As part of his training.
your family dentist has had
extensive instruction and ex
perience in the operation of
x-ray equipment and interpre
tation of x-ray films. In
addition, he and his staff are
always alert to any potential
hazards to patients through
the use of radiation equip
ment. The American Dental
Association, for instance,
advises that leaded aprons be
used on children and adults of
childbearing age.
You can be sure that your
dentist will not recommend .
the taking of x-rays unless he
feels they are absolutely
necessary for the diagnosis
and a subsequent course of
treatment.
With the aid of x-ray films,
your dentist can detect the
beginnings of tooth decay,
abnormal growth conditions--
including unerupted or mal-
positioned teeth—or abnor
malities like tumors and cysts
before they have an opportun
ity to grow and create more
serious problems.
Through the use of x-ray
examinations your dentist can
help you keep your teeth
healthy for a lifetime.
r
National Children’s
Dental Health Week
Sponsored by the American Dental Association
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