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Winter 2024 Issue


Your quarterly children’s oral health newsletter for Snohomish County is provided by the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program. Stay informed of program updates and learn about promoting children’s oral health with patients, clients, and families. 
me

NEWs bite

Meet Donna, Snohomish County’s New ABCD Coordinator 

Hello, my name is Donna Trejo (She/Her/Ella). I am the new ABCD coordinator for Snohomish County. I have been working at Snohomish County Health Department for close to two years. I started off as a health educator on our Advancing Health Literacy team where I gained a lot of skills to help create and disseminate easy to read/understand and culturally appropriate health education materials. Luckily, health literacy is something that can be applied to everything! I'm excited to bring the skills I learned working for the AHL grant to ABCD.  

Parent Bite

What can I do to make my child excited to brush?

Did you know that tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children aged 6-19, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention? This can be painful and can cause infection that can lead to other problems in your child’s life. We know that getting your child excited to brush is important, but we also know that it can be difficult sometimes, in this section we have some helpful tips for you to get your child excited to brush! 

Some tips for parents to encourage their little ones to brush their teeth:  

Start young

Introduce brushing teeth early on. You can do this even before the first tooth appears. This helps to establish good oral hygiene habits from a young age and can carry on for life.   

Make it fun!

Games are a great way to turn teeth brushing into a fun activity. You could make up games to play while brushing such as singing songs, making up stories, seeing who brushes best, etc. Get creative!!  

Another great way to make brushing fun is to get your child a fun toothbrush, maybe something with their favorite color or cartoon character. 

Brush along with them 

Brushing teeth together as a family can be a fun experience for everyone. Children learn by example.

Reward good behavior  

Reward your child for brushing their teeth well, it doesn’t have to be a big prize. It can be a sticker, a couple extra minutes of screen time, or a special treat.  

Establishing good oral health is crucial for your child’s overall health, we hope these tips helped.  
Lahai

HEALTH EQUITY BITE

PARTICIPATE IN LAHAI HEALTH'S SPECIALTY DENTAL PARTNERS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ORAL HEALTH ACCESS IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY 

Attention private practice providers!  

Lahai Health Dental Clinic patients occasionally have endodontic, periodontic, and oral surgery needs that extend beyond the scope of what they can provide. By participating in Lahai’s Dental Specialty Partners program, you can play a crucial role in ensuring that no patient suffers health risks due to financial barriers.  

Referral process 

Lahai sends a referral and pertinent X-rays to your clinic. Your clinic then reaches out to the patient to schedule.  

**Lahai will refer no greater than one patient per quarter, generally once every three months** 

Once an examination is performed and a treatment plan is presented to the patient, the patient returns to your clinic for treatment. Alternatively, Lahai Health has a fully equipped general dentistry clinic in Lynnwood with five operatories that you may use. If you choose to volunteer at the Lahai dental clinic, Lahai Health would establish you as a volunteer and can assist you in getting malpractice insurance through Washington State’s Volunteer and Retired Providers Program. 

Patient Costs  

Lahai Health Dental Clinic offers dental services at highly discounted rates for our uninsured, underserved, and low-income patients. Lahai suggests that our patients are offered a discount of at least 90% off their dental treatment. Greater discounts are at the discretion of the Dental Specialty Partner.   

Ready to participate?  

Contact Maggie Konstanski, Operations Director, at maggiek@lahai.org or 206-899-4767. 

Dental provider bite

Make sure your dental team knows how to protect themselves from infection.

The Snohomish County Dental Society will be hosting Infection Prevention Standards: CDC guidelines and DQAC requirements during the virtual member meeting on January 17th (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.).   

Presented by Dentslply Sirona, this course shows ways to reduce the risk of acquiring exposure and ensure that your practice is following state requirements. The 1-hour class will satisfy DQAC’s annual infection control staff training requirements by reviewing respiratory hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, dental unit water quality protocols, hand-piece sterilization, and tips for practical implementation.  

To learn more and register, click HERE
Collaboration

Community & collaboRATION bite 

Congratulations to Drs. Sonu Lamba and Paul Kahlon for receiving the 2023S Snohomish County Dental Society Special Recognition award for their volunteer work!  

As our county’s ABCD Champions, these providers are improving child oral health care access through community education, training other dentists on ABCD practices, and running the award-winning Stellar Kids Dentistry Clinics. They are leaders in oral health equity, and we are lucky to have them in Snohomish County!  
volunteer

DENTAL RESOURCE BITE

Toothapalooza – Feb 16th, 2024: Volunters are needed for Friday, February 16th. All dentists are welcome to volunteer. If you are retired, this is a great opportunity to support our community with the message of good oral health. We will have Dental Assisting students volunteering, along with music, activities and the ever-popular Tooth fairy! 
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Snohomish County Health Department
3020 Rucker Ave., Everett, Washington
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