Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Hurricane Evacuee Dental Care

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, September 12, 2005

STORY:  EVACUEE DENTAL CARE
SCRIPT # 619  SHOOT:  9/7/05
AIRDATE:  Monday, Sept. 12, 2005
Daybreak and Midday
DHC  MASTER #21   Timecode: 32:01

In Dallas alone, dentists have found More than 15-hundred serious dental cases among the evacuee population.  North Texas dentists are volunteering their services to treat these new patients. Dr. Linda Niessen has the story in today's segment of Dental Health Check.

"It's just been horrible." The pain of a toothache only adds to Yolanda Carter's misery. The memories of the New Orleans flood and aftermath still haunt her. "It was fighting, shootings, stabbings, because everyone wanted to get out."

Baylor College of Dentistry is providing emergency treatment for evacuees. Yolanda and her niece are two of the first patients. Patient Tamika Lewis said, "The pain is so horrible. I'm like where this pain coming from. So it's awful."

"The problems we're seeing are acute pain." Dr. Robert Smith of Garland is one of the volunteers from the Dallas County Dental Society. "We're seeing things like lost dentures in floods, your normal tooth ache, teeth that have gotten broken in the storm. Things like that," said Dr. Smith.

"You're not healthy without good oral health. And it will affect you in many other ways," said Jane Evans of Dallas County Dental Society.

Barbara Armstrong lost her dentures but a new set will be ready soon. "And I lost everything. So they brought me here to Dallas for safety. And I thank Dallas for everything."

"There are so many ways we can help." Dr. Kent Smith of Irving has volunteered the services of his entire staff. "Just something little, something that we can do that takes very little time can make such a profound effect on somebody's health," Dr. Smith added.

Lack of access to needed dental care existed in Dallas before the evacuees arrived. Now their needs, and the needs of those who live here have made this task an even greater challenge for the North Texas Dental community. For Baylor College Of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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