Bernburg. When the shrill, almost screeching sound of the drill echoes through the dentist's office, the tooth has usually already suffered badly. It is better to pay attention to your diet and brush your teeth thoroughly every day. That way, tooth decay doesn't stand a chance! The dental service of the Salzlandkreis district provides this important information throughout the year, primarily in daycare centres and schools. On Dental Health Day on Thursday, 25 September, the district administration wants to draw attention to the importance of healthy children's teeth once again with several campaigns!
Dr Leila Scholle and Dr Lena Unterschütz, two dentists from the Salzlandkreis dental service, explain that thanks to intensive educational work, far fewer children have problems with tooth decay today than at the end of the 1980s – when systematic dental screening and group prophylaxis were first introduced. For example, around 80 per cent of twelve-year-olds in Germany are caries-free. "Nevertheless, education and regular dental check-ups remain important, especially in early childhood."
The dental service team has therefore organised several events and even found a practice partner in the form of dentist Dr Katharina Setz from Nienburg. She wants to give children from the "Entdeckerkiste" day care centre a tour of her practice as part of Dental Health Day. "We think it's great that the children lose their fear of contact with the dentist in this way. That's why we expressly support this commitment."
The district administration also organised the play "Healthy and fit, Mausini joins in" at the "Adolph Diesterweg" primary school in Bernburg. In this hands-on theatre, children learn all about oral hygiene, healthy eating and tolerance in an entertaining way. Around 160 children are expected to attend the play.
There will also be action days at the Montessori primary school in Aschersleben on 11 September and at Plötzky primary school on 25 September. Classes one to four will be guided through various topics at several stations by the dental service team. "We will prepare a healthy breakfast together with the children, we will make a tooth, we will practise brushing teeth with the children and talk to them about sugar in drinks and food."
The Salzland district dental service examines the teeth of children in day-care centres, primary schools and in years five and six in secondary schools and grammar schools. In some cases, the dental service checks the teeth of special school children up to the age of 18. Findings are communicated to parents and advice is given on visits to the dentist. Educating the children themselves is at the centre of the group prophylaxis programme. The various educational establishments receive toothbrushes and toothpaste, among other things, as part of these regular check-ups and preventative care programmes.
"We examine around 50 children a day throughout the Salzland district. Nevertheless, we are happy to receive enquiries of any kind, especially from residential groups or clubs," explain the two dentists. This means that campaign days or information events, for example at parents' evenings, are possible at any time.
Simply send us an e-mail or call us during office hours:
Day-care centres and primary schools also have the option of borrowing educational material from the dental service.