Halloween was just a couple of weeks ago and many of us still have some leftover candy sitting around. According to the Halloween Fun Facts infographic by the American Dental Association, for children, the largest amount of candy consumed is on or following Halloween.1 Since a balanced diet is connected to overall oral health, it鈥檚 no wonder that Halloween can leave dental professionals uneasy.2 This spooky statistic and last month鈥檚 National Dental Hygiene Month has us thinking about how we can help children have healthy smiles. The 黑料不打烊 Dental Hygiene program which is available at the Mesa and Boise campuses and the 黑料不打烊 California Dental Hygiene program which is available at the Sacramento and San Jose campuses戮not only prepares our students for their professional careers, but also lets them play an active role in helping children develop lifelong healthy dental hygiene habits. 
Each campus location has a dental clinic where children between the ages of 3 and 16 can receive complimentary cleanings, X-rays, exams and fluoride treatments. Carrington students gain hands-on experience by treating patients戮all under the supervision of trained professional instructors. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see their instructors working side by side with them to best help meet their patients鈥� needs,鈥� says Brenda Chavez, clinical coordinator in the Mesa dental hygiene program. How does this help promote healthy smiles? In 2011, more than 4 million children under the age of 17 had unmet dental needs because their families could not afford dental care.3 Offering complimentary services provides those children the opportunity to receive dental attention, while learning that taking care of your teeth can be fun. Tips for working with kids听4 Working with kids isn鈥檛 always easy but following these tips can help make both your experience and theirs go smoothly.
- 听Talk them through the process
It might be a little scary going to a dental clinic, especially if it is the child鈥檚 first time. Talking them through the process will help reduce their anxiety by distracting them and keeping them informed so nothing comes as a surprise.
- Don鈥檛 use big words
Using the terms 鈥渁nesthesia鈥� and 鈥渇luoride treatments鈥� won鈥檛 mean much to a child. Try putting these concepts in simple terms, such as 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to put your mouth to sleep and it might feel a little funny.鈥�
- 听Give clear directions
Children might tend to wiggle around and this might make exams or cleanings difficult. Give the child clear instructions, like telling them to sit really still, and give them praise for following directions.
1 American Dental Association, 鈥楬alloween Fun Facts,鈥� 2012 鈥� 3 Fox, Karen, American Dental Association, 鈥楻edefine 鈥榯reat鈥� this Halloween,鈥� September 10, 2012 鈥� http://www.ada.org/news/7539.aspx 1 3 Palmer, Craig, American Dental Association, 鈥楥hildren’s dental visits, unmet need: Data from 2011 National Health Interview Survey,鈥� March 21, 2013 鈥� http://www.ada.org/news/8420.aspx 2 听4 Psaltis, Greg DDS 鈥楾he reality of working with kids,鈥櫶�� 1 http://www.ada.org/news/7539.aspx 2 http://www.ada.org/news/8420.aspx
