Rotary Magazine 2013 - TownNews.com

8 • Lake Arrowhead Rotary Club, 2013
OPEN WIDE AND SAY AHH
Story and Photos by Mary-Justine Lanyon
It was fitting that the Rotary-sponsored dental screenings were held at
the mountain’s four elementary schools last February as February was
National Children’s Dental Health month.
Rotarian Dr. Hugh Bialecki was joined by fellow dentists Matt Nisco and
Mike Miller, as well as dental hygienists from their offices, as they checked
the teeth of the children who had returned their permission slips.
At Grandview Elementary, hygienists Wyndi Holzer and Robyn
Stevenson from Dr. Bialecki’s office checked students from the kindergarten,
4th and 5th grades.
As they counted the children’s teeth and looked for any decay or other
problems, they had their assistants—Lupita Berry and Brianne Chavez—
make notes on the students’ forms. Volunteers Lori Semeniuk and Cheryl
Robinson called the students up for their screenings.
While they did not detect any emergency situations, there were a number of
students with deep decay, something Holzer said can be deemed child abuse.
The hygienists asked the children to take the forms homes to their parents
or guardians and recommended dental services that are available
both on and off the hill.
When Holzer asked one boy is he had been brushing his teeth twice a
day, the answer was “yes.”
“You’re doing a good job,” she told him. Berry marked off “healthy
mouth” for that student.
Wyndi Holzer (left) checks Kaelib’s teeth, while Robyn Stevenson takes a look at Corina’s.
In general, Holzer and Stevenson agreed, the oral health of the students
they saw at Grandview was average. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, “tooth decay affects children in the U.S.
more than any other chronic infectious disease.
“Untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to
problems, such as eating, speaking, playing and learning.” (www.cdc.gov)
Holzer agreed with the CDC’s assessment. “Decay affects nutrition,”
she said. “It’s hard for the children to chew.”
She cautioned more than one student to be careful about the snacks they
eat. The students are surprised, she said, to learn that chips can cause cavities.
Dr. Bialecki was at Valley of Enchantment Elementary with a number of
Rotarian helpers: Jim DeLapp, Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary Club vocational
chair; Carole DeLapp; Rotarian Mick Hill; Secretary Leslie Dodge
Taylor; and President Bill Mellinger.
At Lake Arrowhead Elementary, Matt Nisco, DDS, oversaw the screenings,
while retired dentist Mike Miller checked the students’ teeth at
Charles Hoffman Elementary.
“This is a great service Rotary and the dentists are offering,” Holzer said.
This year's event will take place on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30pm at
the Rim High School Performing Arts Theater.