Showoff those pearly whites Published Feb. 10, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The Kiecker Dental Clinic staff is making a point to "Bringing the Bite to the Fight" not only through February as part of Dental Awareness Month, but all year long. The celebration is not just targeting youth, although the Seymour Johnson dental staff will visit several locations on and off-base to promote good oral hygiene to children; they also want to reach out to adults. Most of Dental Awareness Month events typically focus around children, since early prevention is the key to dental health, said Staff Sgt. Serena Hamilton, 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, non-commissioned officer in charge of preventive dentistry. However, dental awareness is not something that is only important for children. "From a military aspect, a significant dental problem can make an Airman non-worldwide deployable," she said. "As we all know, we (should) be mission ready at all times." A simple flag on an Airman's dental record can have a large impact on their mobility status. "Dental health is a key factor in individual medical readiness," said Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Vicars, 4th AMDS Dental Flight NCOIC. "Active-duty members should be proactive with it because we never know where we will end up. A simple toothache can severely affect a member from being able to carry out our mission." There are a number of easy steps people can take to increase their dental health. "Brush with a fluoride toothpaste, floss regularly and drink fluoridated water," Vicars said. "Fluoride's protection against tooth decay works at all ages. Also, visit the dentist annually. Check-ups and cleanings can detect early signs of oral health problems and can lead to treatments that will prevent further damage, and in some cases, reverse the problem." Some people spend large sums of money to have bright, white teeth while others indulge in practices that damage their teeth, gums and overall oral health. Tobacco use leads to more than 50 percent of all oral cancer, Hamilton said. "When tobacco is used in combination with alcohol, it increases the chance of not only oral cancer but also cancer of the larynx and esophagus." Annually, an estimated 6,100 people die in the U.S. from oral cancers and doctors diagnose approximately 80 new cases daily, according to the American Cancer Society Web site. Military members receive oral cancer screenings during their annual dental exams; however, the best form of prevention is to quit using tobacco. For more information about tobacco cessation, contact the Health and Wellness Center at 722-0407. In addition, poor dental practices can do more than destroy teeth. "For women who are pregnant, if you don't practice good oral hygiene it may affect your unborn fetus," Hamilton said. Poor dental care has been known to cause premature labor and even death to an unborn child. One of the most common preventable dental problems seen by the dental staff here are sports injuries. "This is simple to avoid if you stop by the clinic to get fitted for a custom-fit sport guard," Hamilton said. "If you don't want to make an appointment you can pick up a mouth guard at just about any major store." While many people may be weary of visiting the dentist, the dental staff is committed to living up to their mission statement of proving, "Community focused high quality dental care for all beneficiaries, by people ready for global response while ensuring a safe environment." "As much as we would like to take care of family members and retirees, our staffing does not allow it," Vicars said. However, he encourages active-duty to enroll their family members in the Tricare family member dental plan and retirees to sign-up for the Retiree Dental Plan. The dental office has forms for both at their front desk and they can be found online. For more information about dental health, call 722-1933. For more information about the Tricare family member dental plan, visit www.tricaredentalprogram.com. Retiree's can enroll in the Retiree Dental Plan at www.trdp.com.