DR. KUR GIVES KIDS A SMILE

It’s the 15th Anniversary of Give Kids A Smile!

Nationwide each year, 350,000 to 400,000 children benefit from more than 1,500 Give Kids A Smile events all because of 40,000 or more annual volunteers.

Since 2002, more than 5.5 million underserved children have received free oral health services through the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile program. These free services are provided by volunteers including approximately 10,000 dentists annually, along with 30,000 other dental team members.

I never want to see a child sitting in my chair when there are so many measures that can be taken to prevent it.  

~ Dr. Benjamin Kur

Dr. Kur has become an advocate for children’s oral health care. He has organized Give Kids a Smile annual screenings and routinely operates at Maria Ferrari Children’s Hospital on patients afflicted with Cleft Lip and Palate Syndrome. In conjunction with the Craniofacial team at Westchester Medical Center, Dr. Kur offers his services pro-bono.

Patients with poor oral hygiene and lack of access to routine dental care may prematurely lose permanent teeth, thus leading to a collapse of the individual’s bite, adequate spacing and a lifetime of dentofacial deformities. Not to mention, physical pain and discomfort, and the risk of potentially significant health issues.

Oral diseases are progressive and cumulative and become more complicated over time. They can affect our ability to eat, the foods we choose, how we look, and the way we communicate.

Early intervention, prevention, and screening can have long-term success in an ever growing epidemic of dental caries and periodontal disease. The bacteria associated with dental caries are commonly found in patients suffering from bacterial endocarditis, diabetes and in severe cases; Maxillofacial cellulitis.

~ Dr. Benjamin Kur

The Burden of Oral Diseases and Disorders

It’s astounding that in this day and age, over 100 million people or one-third of the U.S. population has no access to community water fluoridation. The lack of dental insurance affects approximately 108 million children and adults, which is over 2.5 times the number of individuals who lack medical insurance.

• According to the National Education Association, reports show that American students miss 51 million hours of school every year because of oral health problems.
• The effects of dental pain can significantly impact a child’s ability to concentrate and perform at school, thus limiting their full potential.
• If a child cannot chew properly due to dental decay, their food choices may be limited causing inadequate nutrition.
• Tooth Decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease – 5 times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Over 50% of 5- to 9-year-old children have at least one cavity or filling, and that proportion increases to 78 percent among 17-year-olds.
• One out of four children in America is born into poverty, and children living below the poverty line (annual income of $17,000 for a single family of four) have more severe and untreated decay.

~ Healthy Smile Project

We Live In a Grab & Go Society

Not only is access to proper nutrition and oral health care an issue for many populations, but let’s face it if given the choice kids would exchange healthy foods & beverages for sugary drinks and snacks all day long. We live in a grab-and-go-society of prepared & packaged foods that provide easy access when we’re rushing around, taxiing kids back and forth to sporting events and activities. It’s up to us to make sure our kids are balancing their nutrition and practicing good oral care to avoid bigger problems down the road.

Don’t Drink Soda, Drink Gatorade!

Kids today are consuming sports drinks at a rapid rate, but is one better than the other?

Soda = Sugar | Sports Drinks = Acid — Both Are Equally Damaging

SUGAR | The general mindset that soda is more damaging than sports drinks is a misnomer. And for many, sports drinks are thought to be the better approach to hydration vs. soda, because sports drinks have less sugar. The reality is that both are equally debilitating to the health of your teeth.

In general, soda has so much sugar that the adverse effects – tooth decay and tooth rot, not to mention other health complications like diabetes, obesity, etc. – of these types of drinks are seen almost immediately. The general myth is that because most sports drinks contain very little sugar and, in some cases no sugar at all, negative effects won’t be seen. This mindset could not be farther from the truth.

ACID | While sports drinks may not have the same high levels of sugar that soda contains, they do have a high volume of acid. The acid level associated with sports drinks will immediately begin to damage the enamel of each tooth. Enamel does not reproduce therefore the effects are irreparable. Eroded enamel causes teeth to become sensitive to touch and extreme cases of hot and cold temperatures. These conditions will be most noticeable while your child is eating or drinking. Also, teeth become more susceptible to cavities and to decay in general.

BE PROACTIVE | Rinse the mouth out with water immediately after drinking sports elixirs. Doing so will prevent the acidic liquid from resting on the teeth for too long. This practice will go a long way towards protecting teeth for the foreseeable future. And, DO NOT brush right away! Wait at least one hour to brush teeth after these drinks. Brushing teeth sooner could cause the toothbrush itself to spread the acid around the teeth, which would cause a larger amount of damage than if it were just left alone in the first place.

Keep Your Kids Hydrated, The Right Way

Got Milk? Remember this slogan? Over the past generation, soda pop, sport, and juice drinks have increased 100%, while the intake of milk has decreased significantly.

Here are a few trouble-free toothy tips to keep your child hydrated the right way:

• Consume two or more servings of dairy foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Use a straw to keep the sugar away from teeth
• Limit the intake of 100% juice to four to six ounces. You can also dilute the juice with water to reduce sugar
• Read labels for sugar content
• Restrict Sugary Beverages to occasional use
• Another great tip, Chew ADA approved sugarless gum for 20 minutes after a meal or beverages.

Benefits of Chewing Gum

Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay. Chewing gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, and neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. The increased flow of saliva carries more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.

Chew gum with the ADA Seal. The ADA seal assures that the gum is sugarless and is sweetened with non-cavity causing sweeteners. Chewing gum is simply an added measure that will keep healthy properties active in the mouth between brushing & flossing; it is not a replacement.

The Benefits of Fluoride

Fluoride benefits children and adults throughout their lives. For children, fluoride helps strengthen the adult (permanent) teeth that are developing under the gums. For adults, drinking water with fluoride supports tooth enamel, keeping teeth strong and healthy. The health benefits of fluoride include having:

• Fewer cavities
• Less severe cavities
• Less need for fillings and removing teeth
• Less pain and suffering because of tooth decay

Bottled water reduces the consumption of fluoride-rich tap water, however, believe it, or not many children are receiving too much fluoride. How?

When fluoride was first added to water in the 1940s as a means of preventing tooth decay, not a single dental product contained fluoride. In the past 60 years, as one fluoride product after another entered the market, exposure to fluoride has increased considerably, particularly among children.

Be Proactive to Keep Your Kids Smile Healthy. Prevention Is The Best Medicine.

Make Sure Your Kids Are Brushing Properly. Brushing improperly can lead to gum erosion + dental decay. If left untreated this could lead to more serious consequences.

Schedule Regular Check-Ups & Cleanings.  If dental decay goes undetected and is left untreated you risk the cavity impeding close to the tooth nerves, and then a simple filling turns into a visit to a specialist for a more invasive surgery to treat and hopefully save the tooth. There’s nothing sweeter than a child’s toothy grin. No child wants to be told that he or she will lose their tooth, for good.

Through Dr. Kur’s involvement in charitable organizations and his experience with kids coming through his practice, he has seen and treated many cases of children with advanced oral health issues.

Don’t Be One Of Them!

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. KUR