Students in the Pea Ridge School District had fun while learning about oral health at the free dental clinic held at the school recently.
Held in cooperation with Delta Dental, Oral B, Crest, Kare, Wal-Mart and the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County, the event was held in the gym at the Intermediate School on Feb. 15.
Stelli Litchfield, director of nursing with Pea Ridge School District, said all students were invited and those who attended received dental screenings in addition to an opportunity to shop for dental supplies, create a label for tooth paste tubes, perform science experiments to learn what soft drinks and acidic foods and drinks do to tooth enamel.
Experiments demonstrated eggs with and without fluoride which are put in Coke, grape juice or vinegar. "It demonstrates what it does to the enamel of the tooth if you do not brush," Yendel Jones with Delta Dental said. She said she also teaches how much sugar is in each drink.
"They get to play SMILE which is like HORSE in basketball," Litchfield said, adding that the children are asked tooth trivia questions.
"Bringing in things like this is great because our community is growing," she said. "We hope to get a bigger percentage of our students involved next year."
"This is a fun event; they're learning about oral health care. The earlier we can catch it, the better to instill those habits in them. Dental problems can lead to health problems if we don't catch it," Litchfield said. "This clinic provides the knowledge but it also provides the family on follow up on dental care."
"We're always passionate about being here," Dr. Franklyn Aguebor said. Aguebor is a dentist from New York. He is from Proctor and Gamble and works with Kare. He said a virtual doctor is doing the exams on the kids while the hygienists perform the services on site. "We started doing Close America's Smile Gap -- beautiful, beautiful ... we go everywhere in the nation. We do education and give oral health products."
Dr. Kwane Watson, a dentist licensed in several states -- Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia, was born in Arkansas. He is the CEO of Kare Mobile Inc. "It's always exciting to be back in Arkansas."
A dentist for 25 years, he said he founded Kare seven years ago.
"Access was important," he said, and realized access and margins were declining in a brick and mortar business and created a single chair van to take the practice where it is most needed. That was the origin of Kare Mobile Inc.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Students at Pea Ridge schools enjoyed games, lessons and basketball at a dental clinic in the Boys and Girls Club gym on the Intermediate School campus recently. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Students at Pea Ridge schools enjoyed games, lessons and basketball at a dental clinic in the Boys and Girls Club gym on the Intermediate School campus recently. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Students at Pea Ridge schools enjoyed games, lessons and basketball at a dental clinic in the Boys and Girls Club gym on the Intermediate School campus recently. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Students at Pea Ridge schools enjoyed games, lessons and basketball at a dental clinic in the Boys and Girls Club gym on the Intermediate School campus recently. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.