Foundation hosts event offering dental work for SBC kids
Through a
”
Give Kids a Smile
”
initiative, the children of San Benito County were offered a
free chance to have a dentist exam their teeth Tuesday.
More than 40 kids, of ages ranging up to 17, took the San Benito
County Health Foundation Dental Department up on their offer,
Medical Manager Vanessa Jara said.
Foundation hosts event offering dental work for SBC kids
Through a “Give Kids a Smile” initiative, the children of San Benito County were offered a free chance to have a dentist exam their teeth Tuesday.
More than 40 kids, of ages ranging up to 17, took the San Benito County Health Foundation Dental Department up on their offer, Medical Manager Vanessa Jara said.
“It was a busy day,” Jara said.
The 10th annual “Give Kids a Smile Day” was more than just a simple examination – instead, parents and kids are informed about their teeth and taught how to brush and floss their teeth, Jara said.
“It’s important for the little ones,” she said. “We want to teach them how to do those things. It’s important to tell them when they are young.”
Kids are given an oral examination and offered a chance to schedule a follow-up examination that would include X-rays and fluoride teeth cleaning.
“This is all to prevent issues later on,” Jara said.
Dentist Shashi Khosla said that it’s important to teach the parents as well, to help the kids.
“The parents need to know,” she said.
Before kids took part in the oral examination, they were able to do arts and crafts. The health foundation also had face painting and a tooth fairy.
“There was a bunch of Avatars running around,” Khosla said, referring to the face painting.
But the activities were to settle down the kids who had never gone to the dentist, Jara said.
“It settles them down and they are happy,” Jara said.
