STORY: FIRST ORAL
EXAM
SCRIPT #518 SHOOT: 7/17/03
AIRDATE: Monday, July 28, 2003
Daybreak and Midday
DHC #18 Timecode: 9:00 Both pediatricians and dentists finally
agree on when young children need
their very first dental exam.
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics adopted the guidelines of the
American Academy of Pediatric Dentists.
Just how early in life should a child
take a trip to the dental office?
SOVT: 1:41 Dr. Linda Niessen has the answer in today’s
Dental Health Check.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JOSH AND ANGELA (VOICE-OVER)
SUPER: Richardson :02-07
By age one, every child needs to see a
dentist for an oral exam.
Young Josh is 16 months old and
going to his first appointment.
SUPER: Voice of Angela Magers (“Actually, my 4 ½ year old, and my
Josh’s Mother :13-18 3 year old just made their first visit to
the dentist. And shame on me, they
just did that this week.”)
DR. ROBERT MORGAN (“The guideline is you need to show up at
(super delayed) the pediatric dentist or family dentist within
a few months of the eruption of the first
tooth.”)
DR. MORGAN AND JOSH Dr. Robert Morgan is a pediatric dentist,
who believes the first visit is as much for
the parents as it is for the young patient.
SUPER: Dr. Robert Morgan “We’re going to take a quick history
Pediatric Dentist :36-42 of the family. We’re looking for pathology
(disease such as cavities); tongue-tied;
missing teeth, abnormal teeth, eruption
patterns. How we care for the baby teeth
significantly affects the permanent teeth.”)
BABY BOTTLE TOOTH DECAY The first oral exam checks for early
tooth decay, often caused by going to
sleep with a bottle of milk or formula.
Page 2 First Oral Exam
DR. MORGAN (After you eat or drink anything, for
20 minutes you make decay. Because
that’s about how long it takes for the
saliva to dilute the food.”)
FIRST EXAM The first trip to the dentist should
be fun. The baby can sit in mom’s
lap. There are likely to be no x-rays,
and no cleaning.
DR. MORGAN (“The American Academy of Pediatric
Dentists says you start brushing teeth when
they show up. Use a soft, bristle brush
with a small head and small handle. When
you have an infant, you just
want to brush the teeth. I don’t care
if you go back and forth, or if you go up and down, or if you go in a
circle. First eruption of the teeth
happens somewhere between six and 12 months, but certainly by 12 months of age,
you should visit your dentist.”)
ON CAMERA (STAND-UP CLOSE)
SUPER: Dr. Linda Niessen 1:33-1:38 Any discoloration including white
Baylor College of Dentistry spots on your child’s teeth could
be a sign of decay. And because
tooth decay is an infection that does
not does not get better on its own.
You should take your child to the dentist
as soon as possible at any age.
For Baylor College of Dentistry,
Texas A & M System, I’m Dr.
Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.
For webpages:
For policy change of American Academy
of Pediatrics-- see www.aap.org
Search for “oral health risk assessment”
to find policy change issued in May 2003
For viewer inquires:
Dr. Robert Morgan, Pediatric Dentist
375 Municipal, #104
Richardson, TX
972-669-3663