KKV recognizes the importance of establishing a visit with the dentist by age 1, as well as the importance of establishing good oral hygiene and nutritional habits from a young age. Dentists visit the WIC clinic at KKV weekly to provide mothers and infants with oral health education, assessments, fluoride varnish, and facilitate the establishment of a dental home where they can receive routine and regular dental care. Expecting mothers are also referred to the main clinic for preventive oral health care since they are prone to gum disease and dental caries. This is important because poor oral health during pregnancy can lead to poor health outcomes for the mother and baby. It is also an opportunity to spark awareness for pregnant women and new moms about the importance of oral health for both mom and baby.
Pediatric Medicine
Dentists visit the Pediatric Medicine clinic to bring preventive oral health services to children at their well child visit. Since most new born children have contact with a pediatrician before a dentist, this integration is an opportunity to establish a dental home by the age of 1 years old While the focus of this integration is to intercept children who are 0-5 years old, preventive services are brought to all children and aims to ensure that all children have a dental home.
Diabetes and Nutrition
Our dental program recognizes the importance of reinforcing good eating habits to control diabetes and the need to for good oral hygiene and professional care for diabetics. Given the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease, staff from the Center provide oral health education to those enrolled in a diabetes nutrition class. Since diabetes affects the body’s ability to process sugar, if diabetes is left untreated, it can cause dry mouth, cause bone loss around teeth, and experience delayed wound healing. Regular dental visits are important, and studies have shown that treating periodontal disease can help improve blood sugar in diabetics and decrease the progression of disease.
