Dental experts teach hospital patients on how to prevent, battle tooth decay

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood conditions in the United States, and if untreated, can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. The good news is tooth decay is preventable and that there are at least two opportunities this month at Texas Children’s Hospital where you can find out how to keep your child’s smile clean and healthy.

In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, representatives from Texas Children’s Hospital Dental Division are hosting the following events to educate children and their families about proper dental hygiene:

  • On Wednesday, February 18, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the West Tower Library, hospital patients and their families can receive one-on-one guidance about how to properly brush, floss and care for one’s teeth and gums. Props showing what soft drinks, candy and other types of sugary foods do to children’s teeth will be on display.
  • On Friday, February 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on The Auxiliary Bridge anyone in the hospital can receive information on proper childhood dental hygiene, and children can practice brushing their teeth on a tooth model at the “tooth booth.”
  • Free toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste will be handed out at both events!

“We want children and their families to know that dental health and hygiene are important even if you are in the hospital focusing on other issues,” said Pediatric Dentist Esther Yang. “We want to take this opportunity to teach them about these things in a fun, light-hearted way.”

The Dental Division at Texas Children’s Hospital provides a full range of routine and complex dental procedures for pediatric patients. We provide dental treatment to children with special needs or complex medical diagnoses requiring coordination of care between our dental team and their subspecialist.

The Dental Surgery Division also provides dental procedures that are necessary to allow patients to continue their other health care needs or to ensure their annual dental needs are met.

Our dentists work in close concert with many of the surgical and medical divisions at Texas Children’s Hospital, including Texas Children’s Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Heart Center to provide the highest level of patient care. Dental patients may be treated as outpatients, inpatients or in the operating rooms.

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