As a grandparent, I have often stood in the bathroom with my grandchildren as they brushed their teeth before bed. I can see they have been taught well by their parents the importance of good oral hygiene. Their mother and I taught some of those parents when they were children. Good dental hygiene is a concept and a tradition or way of life for many modern families. The sad contrast of neglect of training or effort is what I often see in my dental practice. In most of these cases, I believe it is a form of child neglect. Another way to say dental IQ might be dental awareness, dental priority, dental dedication, and dental health standard. By the time you read this I will have just come back from my annual trip with the Saint George Rotary club to the highlands of Guatemala. There my Rotary club installs efficient wood burning cook top stoves in the Mayan’s little shakes. I spend my time alleviating the dreaded tooth ache by removing irreparable abscessed teeth. There for reason that are mostly economic, or access and yes a plain lack of personal dental care (low dental IQ) the ravages of tooth decay has taken a dreadful toll. The people there are humble and great full for the help. I know I have helped the needy and the mothers who had no way to console her child with a tooth ache that has been going on for months. I come home with a keener sense of the many blessings of life here in Saint George. Then I return to my dental office to see in similar ways cases of children ravaged by decay and my heart aches. Whatever your stage in life, grand parent or parent we need to all help to raise the dental IQ of our homes and community. Ask your children or grandchildren if they brush. Get them into a dental office & help out if economic problems exist. I and many of my fellow dentists help out as much as we can. A part of self-esteem is good oral health.
