Dental Health Study Inspires Giving

Thousands of toothbrushes were delivered to the Dr. Earl R. Crane Children's Dental Health Center and the Assistance League of San Bernardino early this month after a Good Samaritan responded to a need for increased dental healthcare information and access. After hearing a presentation from Loma Linda University Dental School Assistant Professor and Assistance League member Margie Arnett on the need for children's dental healthcare in the community, Joe Guerra of Horace Mann delivered 4,500 new toothbrushes to the Assistance League and Dental Center, which provides general dentistry for uninsured or underinsured children. Last year, Arnett saw a need to conduct a research survey of children in the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), with the goal of discovering whether every child had a toothbrush, or if they were sharing. “While we were conducting our 1st grade dental screening program at one of the local schools a child asked if the bristles of a toothbrush were supposed to be white. We were surprised at the question and it occurred to me that there could be a systemic problem with children sharing toothbrushes and thus the study was born,” said Arnett. Arnett joined Loma Linda dentists and staff to develop an oral hygiene instruction program including a short, four-question survey for 1st graders in the school district, joining Assistance League volunteers in visiting each of the 47 1st grade classrooms. Survey questions included "Do you have a toothbrush," and "Does anyone else in your home use the same toothbrush as you?" The results, according to Deborah Karalun, Assistance League of San Bernardino president, showed 10 percent of students not having a toothbrush at all, and another 15 percent of students sharing their toothbrushes. “Visiting one of the schools last year I was involved in a conversation with a staff member and teacher where the teacher was surprised to hear that one of her students had one toothbrush in a house of 13 people. That staff member then decided to start a toothbrush drive to get a toothbrush in the hand of every student at their school,” Karalun said. Assistance League volunteers left bags with brand new toothbrushes, toothpaste and an informational flyer about the Dental Center for each student they saw during classroom visits. Guerra, who heard Arnett speak at a San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce meeting in August about children's dental health needs, said, "Since Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to 'changing the world one child and one community at a time,' this cause was appropriate for our mission of serving the children of the world, especially in our own community." Other contributors, explained Guerra, included SBCUSD members, San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce Members, Kiwanis Club of Greater San Bernardino members, members of Cal State San Bernardino's National Society of Student Leadership, the Circle K Club (Kiwanis students from Cal State San Bernardino), the Women’s Club of San Bernardino, Gary Walbourne of Pride Envelope of San Bernardino, Child Care Resource Center of San Bernardino, Sunset Rotary Club of San Bernardino, the Elks Club of San Bernardino, and Dentists Dr. Choi, Dr. Buckwalter, Dr. Richard Garcia and Dr. Gerard Sabate. “I myself belong to both the Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis of Greater San Bernardino. So, service to the community just follows along. But, it is the community that deserves the credit for stepping up to support this worthwhile cause. The majority of the toothbrushes came through the efforts of Cal State San Bernardino students who challenged their sphere of influence to make contributions; which resulted in over 3,000 of the 4,500 collected,” continued Guerra. With the results of last year’s study Assistance League of San Bernardino is currently working with Arnett and Loma Linda University Dental School in providing oral hygiene instruction and surveying over 4,000 kindergarteners in the district. The Dr. Earl R. Crane Children’s Dental Health Center is located at 580 W. Sixth St., San Bernardino.