February is one of our favorite months at Sandia Pediatric Dentistry. You might think it’s because of Valentine’s Day, but even more exciting than heart shaped candy and love notes is National Children’s Dental Health Month! The ADA has marked February as Children’s Dental Health Month for the past 64 years. We get 28 special days to shine the spotlight on kids and encouraging their healthy oral habits.
Although cavities are largely preventable, tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease and often overlooked. Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma, and occurs four times more often than childhood obesity. Tooth decay strikes twenty times more than diabetes.
As part of this exciting month, Dr. Sjostrom is taking SPD Academy on the road and visiting Albuquerque schools to arm kids with the tools to fight childhood tooth decay.
We love to visit classrooms and share tips for keeping mouths cavity free, all while having fun. We know how smart kids are, and often get to learn interesting and funny things right along with these remarkable kids.
One of the best things about Children’s Dental Health Month and SPD Academy is hearing and seeing what kids learn. We often get thank you notes from the students we visit and the kids describe their favorite part or what they learned from Dr. Sjostrom. One thing is sure; kids are listening! The best part of all is seeing kids practice what they learn to have healthy oral habits for a lifetime!
If your child was part of the SPD Academy recently and you ask him/her what they learned, you might be surprised to hear something similar to one of the statements below.
- “Minions only have incisors.”
- “A dentist looks at uvulas and clicking jaws.”
- “I don’t need to brush for two minutes.”
- “Floss, snap, floss, snap, floss, snap…”
- “Soldiers use hard toothbrushes for cleaning toilets.”
Dr. Sjostrom volunteers his time because he is passionate about educating children and helping them develop good oral health habits to last a lifetime. He knows how to make learning these habits fun and exciting.
Dr. Sjostrom’s specialized training and education have given him the opportunity to understand children’s oral health in a unique way, and he enjoys opportunities to answer questions for both children and their parents.
Do you have a question for Dr. Sjostrom? Ask it below in the comments and Dr. Sjostrom will be happy to answer!
