In the corner of one of
Middle Road’s busiest intersections, sits a
dental clinic that offers the latest in dental services with personal
care.
Leading the team of highly trained professionals at Dental Care is
Dr.
Brian Eckert. Here, he shares a bit of insight on the clinic and its
services as well as introducing himself and his family.
(1) Dr. Eckert, you’ve
been on Saipan practicing dentistry at Dental Care in Garapan since
2005. How are you enjoying it?
I am enjoying Saipan very much. It’s a beautiful island with
lots to see and do and the people are friendly. My wife and I have
made some very good friends and are getting involved in many fun activities.
I am enjoying my work at the clinic as well. We have a great staff,
well trained and professional, but friendly and wonderful to work
with. We see all ages, from young children to the manamko. The chemistry
between the staff is great which promotes a pleasant atmosphere in
the clinic.
(2) What are the main dental problems that you encounter here?
The worst dental problem that I see here often is the high decay rate
in young children. This can lead to pain and infection, and early
loss of the first teeth can lead to crowding and poor alignment of
the adult teeth.
In adults, the main problems are related to periodontal or gum disease
with decrease of supporting bone for the teeth, which can lead to
infections and tooth loss. Of course we see a lot of damage to the
teeth and the soft tissues of the mouth from betel nut chewing. There
is a potential for cancer developing in the mouth of long-term chewers
as well.
(3) Are there any suggestions that you can make to help people prevent
these problems?
For the children especially the younger ones it’s important that
the parents supervise the brushing and do it themselves for the little
ones to ensure its properly done; flossing the children’s teeth
daily when they are tight together can help prevent decay from starting
unbetween the teeth. For babies, decay can start as soon as the first
teeth come into the mouth. One of the worst things contributing to
infant decay is giving them a bottle at night with juice or even milk.
The bacteria is the month are active even when the child is asleep
and decay progresses very rapidly in children. If a child must have
a bottle at night — only water.
One of the water companies on island is now fluoridating their water
supply. Consuming fluorodated water has been shown to make a big difference
in the development of healthy, decay-free teeth in children.
For the adults, using a fluoride toothpast to help prevent decay,
brushing and flossing the teeth daily and regular cleaning by a dental
professional are the main ways to preserve teeth for a lifetime. For
betel nut chewing or smoking the best thing for general health is
to stop.à
(4) Your wife Frances is here with you, what does she do?
Volunteer work at PSS. Last year and this year working with special
needs children abuse. Works one on one on specialized learning programs.
(5) You’re from Canada— any reflections on differences between
there and Saipan?
Well, Canada is a big country, lots of variety — mountains, lakes,
rivers-seacoasts and of course western Saipan small but beautiful.
Summer all year round. Where I’m from now — couple of feet
snow, maybe 0-10æF and the beginning and end of water are long and
grey. you can’t do much activities outside. Saipan outoor activities
all year row.
(6) What type of activities have you become involved in since been
here?
Name one outrigger canoing with SOCC. We practiced hard last year
and both men’s and women’s team did very well at the Micronesian
Cup and Guam races in October of 2006. My wife and I also volunteered
with the Micro Cup canoeing and the Xterra races.
(7) What does the future hold for? What do you forsee for the future
here?
Well, obviously lots of problem in the economy and reduced government
resources will means less services for the people. We had a similar
situation in Canada in the 1990’s on a different scale. The federal
government had to make severe cutbacks to curb the deficit spending
and accumulating debt. People in all walks of life were upset and
cuts were made in education, health services, infrastructure, people
lost jobs, companies were forced to retrench and examine how they
deal businesses. But after several years of bad times things started
to improve. The government spent less than they took is, started paying
down the national debt and putting extra funding back into health
and education. It was a hard period but I think the country is better
for it now. I can see the same happening for Saipan. With foresight
and determination, everyone will get through the hard times and improve
in sustainable way.
(8) What about your future here?
Well Francine and I are enjoying Saipan very much. Our three children
are all finishing up their university courses in Canada and should
be graduating over the next two years. We were fortunate to have all
of them visit us here last summer and they all really enjoyed Saipan
as well. We will probably go to Canada for a visit this summer to
catch up will my parents and the rest of own families but we will
definitely be back in Saipan for a while.
For consulation, contact Dental Care at Telephone 233-1100 or 1101,
located at the ground flr. of D-Torres Bldg. in Garapan
