Children should have their first dentist appointment by age one,
said Nancy Wexler, administrator of the dental department at El Rio
Community Health Center. This is also the recent recommendation from
the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association.
Every Monday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., El Rio patients can
receive an oral checkup and preventative dental treatment for their
children, ages 0 to 3, at the pediatric location, 839 W. Congress St.
This
new service is the beginning of their pilot dental program that will
allow children to simultaneously visit the dentist when they have a
doctor’s appointment at the clinic.
A dental kiosk is
located in the pediatric location for the checkup and treatment, and to
help provide children’s dental hygiene awareness, Wexler said.
This
year, El Rio plans to bring preventative dental treatment booths to the
rest of their pediatric locations at 1530 W. Commerce Court, and at the
north-west location, 4009 N. Flowing Wells Road.
The
treatment includes a visual checkup for decay and an assessment of the
types of food the child is eating, along with a fluoride varnish
painted onto the teeth for protection, Wexler said.
In
order to receive the initial checkup and preventative treatment,
families must be El Rio Health Center patients. For your child’s first
dental appointment, call 670-3758.
Wexler said that
ultimately, El Rio wants to put children on a plan so that by the time
their first tooth erupts, they’ve scheduled some kind of visit with a
dentist.
