Chicago Dentist

When I was a child, growing up in Burns, I was afraid to go to the dentist. He was a big man, a bit heavy handed and stern. I remember reluctantly heading to his office after school, my steps becoming increasingly slower and more reluctant as I got closer. Looking at his collection of various bird eggs, in a display case in his office, helped to distract me from the coming ordeal. When my children were growing up we made the three-hour trip to Boise, Idaho, where our new dentist did excellent work - with a gentler touch, a great sense of humor and lower fees. He was a hunter, who teased the children about the bear in his closet that he’d brought back from a trip to Alaska. Once in a while they’d tiptoe cautiously to the closet, but never quite worked up enough courage to open the door. He teased me about the weight of my numerous fillings, suggesting that I would be unwise to dive into a swimming pool. Appreciating his sense of humor lightened the apprehension that could build on the trip to his office.
Are you still afraid of seeing the dentist?- OregonLive.com

Although there have been advances in health care access and public insurance, for some children, health care is still a privilege - and dental visits are more of a luxury. A study released this month by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said 31 percent of low income children have cavities that go untreated, compared to six percent of other children. Medill Reports talked with leading dentist Indru Punwani, head of pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Dental College, about the dangers and prevention of tooth decay in young children.

You’re never too young to see the dentist | Windy Citizen.com

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has received a donation of $250,000 from Delta Dental of Illinois to help build a new pediatric clinic to train predoctoral dental students.  The donation for UIC’s college of Dentistry was raised as part of the University of Illinois Brilliant Futures campaign.

Dental College receives donation for new pediatric dental clinic - Pulse

Health and cultural habits at center of crisis
By Mary Ann Fergus Chicago Tribune Tuesday, January 15, 2008CHICAGO — Katelyn Patthana confidently slid into a chair to have her molars sealed, no big deal for a 7-year-old who had lived through a dental horror story. The Gilberts, Ill., 2nd grader’s tooth decay was so severe two years ago that dentists pulled six teeth, crowned two and filled five.

Katelyn is among a growing number of young children with cavities, creating concern among dentists and parents who hoped that brushing and avoiding candy was enough to silence the drills. But with continual snacking and the use of non-fluoridated bottled water on the rise, experts say parents have to be even more vigilant.

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