Things I Tell My Wife by Matt Knutson

Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.

“I don’t feel any teeth yet, but I think they’re coming in soon,” I told my wife after our daycare hinted that Gracelyn might be teething. She did have several of the signs: drooling, rubbing her face, trying to chew on every possible thing she could get her hands on and the occasional fussiness, but so far we haven’t seen any physical signs of an emerging tooth. It’s still a little early for that kind of thing, but we know some pearly white friends will be joining us soon.

I have several relatives in the oral care industry and Sera has impeccable teeth, so we’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of those first teeth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry doesn’t recommend a visit to the dentist until age 1 or within six months after our daughter’s first tooth arrives, so it’ll be awhile yet before she’s sitting in that dentist chair and pondering why some adult is sticking his or her fingers all over her mouth. It will likely be one of the many “firsts” in Gracelyn’s life that we photograph.

Not every child is fortunate enough to get proper dental care, however. Families on a limited budget often find themselves cutting dental and vision care out of their expenses because they’re viewed as less important. Others may still attend, but go to the dentist less frequently. This can create both short and long term dental health problems and I was thrilled to find out there’s at least one organization working in the Albert Lea area to help.

Last week Kris Billman, executive director of Children’s Dental Health Services, happened to swing by my office wondering if we had any volunteers that might be interested in making a trek to Albert Lea. I gave her a few recommendations and then had to learn more about what it was that her team is doing there.

It turns out that twice a month, you can find Children’s Dental Health Services at the Freeborn County Public Health building to provide free preventative dental care services for children on the MinnesotaCare program. A quick Google search revealed to me that the MinnesotaCare program is a health care program for Minnesotan’s with low income. I’m not an expert, but it seems like the program covers the gap between extremely low income families who might be on Medical Assistance and people who can’t quite afford MNsure or another form of insurance.

Children’s Dental Health Services is able to meet an incredible need in your community, a need that I think many don’t realize is there.

“When we go to the schools, its probably 40 percent of the kids that have restorative needs,” Billman shared. “A lot of the kids, even in elementary school, have never been to the dentist.”

The importance of receiving preventative dental care and education at a young age cannot be overstated, according to Children’s Dental Health Services. Effective brushing, flossing instruction help establish a child’s good oral health habits at home and reduce long-term health care costs by preventing more serious dental disease later in life.

If you happen to know someone with a child who could use a check-up, it looks like they’ll next be in Albert Lea on July 25 and 26. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (507) 529-0436. Also, I’m sure they could use some more local volunteers instead of having me recruit people from Rochester to make the journey west on I-90.  Their clinical coordinator volunteers assist with families filling out health history forms, helping the dental hygienist by providing patient care help, and a few other odds and ends. You can give the same phone number I previously shared to inquire about volunteering.

We’re fortunate enough that Gracelyn won’t be eligible to benefit from this service, but I’m happy to share this program that happens to be both in my community and yours. Healthy teeth lead to a healthier community, and who doesn’t want more happy teeth?