'Prevention is everything': Dental Wellness Center promoting children's dental hygiene

NORFOLK, Neb. -- February is National Children's Dental Health Month and one dental center in northeast Nebraska is helping spread awareness.

The Dental Wellness Center in Norfolk is helping educate the public on the best practices for children's dental hygiene.

Dr. Valerie Largen, an associate dentist, said that the Dental Wellness Center has a unique approach to making kids comfortable with their staff when it's their first appointment.

"We do what we call 'tell, show, do,'" she said. "That's where we walk through with the child what we are using, they can run over their fingers just so they can feel everything and see everything and nothing is new or shocking to them. I think keeping cleaning appointments happy and keeping them coming in regularly mediates the anxiety they get."

Children should have cleaning appointments every six months and should begin seeing a dentist at age one.

Largen shared that until children are old enough to tie their shoes, parents should be overseeing them brushing their teeth with these tips.

"Prevention is everything, really. Brushing twice a day and night is the most important so that sugar and everything isn't sitting on their teeth," she said. "Flossing daily is super important. And just having kids brush on their own to get that dexterity on their own but also have their parents brush over, check everything."

Largen added that parents should set a two-minute timer for their children while they brush their teeth. 

Dr. Stephanie Stanton, the owner of the Dental Wellness Center, said the most common problem that her office sees when it comes to child patients is Crowding which makes teeth harder to clean.

She also shared with News Channel Nebraska the main factors that contribute to crowding.

"The three things are sugar, acid, and dry mouth. So, anything that would cause that. It's more frequency over amount," she said. "People tend to think if they get a 44 oz. pop and drink it all, that it's actually worse than a little can of pop that they sip throughout the day."

The Dental Wellness Center will be giving away gift bags throughout the month to different patients to honor National Children's Dental Health Month.

"Each hygienist is going to pick a child or a teen and give them one of the goodie bags that has an electric toothbrush and a variety of other fun things for them and a cinch bag," said Stanton.

Both added that the more these practices are promoted at home, the more likely it will prevent future issues.

"We are an office that are all mothers so we just treat the children like our own and we are very close with them and try and make it very fun for the kids to come in," said Largen.