By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

GRANDPARENTS will learn more about their grandchildren’s oral health at a workshop at Aqua Resort Club on Saturday.
Lori Serna, dental hygienist of the Seventh Day Adventist Clinic, said they hope to get “both sides” when it comes to instilling in the minds of children the importance of dental health.
“We’re (also) educating grandparents who are taking care of their grandchildren — we need to reach both populations and help them give information and make them aware of how important is it to take care of the children’s teeth. We also target the children, explaining to them as they get older why it is important to take care of their teeth, we hopefully are getting both sides,” she said.
Serna believes that the number of local children “should be high — it really has to be.”
She said in the U.S., 60 to 80 percent of children under 13 have at least one cavity. This means that six to eight out of 10 children of school age have at least one cavity.
“That’s a huge number,” she said, noting that there’s already a lot of community outreach programs in the U.S.
She said they are not conducting a research because they feel that their time is more valuably spent preventing cavities among children through education and free dental exams.
Yesterday, Serna was assisted by teacher Rose E. Adams in discussing with fifth grade students of San Vicente Elementary School yesterday, the proper way of brushing teeth.
With the use of gum and teeth replicas, each children was given the chance to demonstrate the proper way of brushing their teeth.
“Don’t rush when you brush,” Serna reminded them.
Serna said this year, they are free dental exams to all the children on Saipan.
Parents, she added, can call or come to their clinic in Garapan, to make an appointment for the children’s free dental exam. The clinic’s telephone number is 234-6323.
“Any parent who has a child 13 years old or under can call the clinic from now to Feb. 28 and get their child a free dental exam,” she said.
The Seventh Day Dental Clinic, Serna said, is committed to help the community and work within it.
The key to prevention she added, is education.
“When we go out to schools, we aim to educate the children on how to take care of their teeth. We also go to Head Start centers,” she said.
Serna said they will also conduct a similar presentation at Saipan Community School.
“The main message here is: children’s teeth are very important,” she said.