Children meet Mr. Gross Teeth

Children meet Mr. Gross Teeth

SEARHC's circus-themed fair helps youth learn about dental health

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

It isn't every day that a Dalmatian and a snake-charmer examine teeth and give patients rides in dental chairs, but the circus - also known as the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Children's Dental Health Fair - came to town Tuesday to take the terror out of a dentist trip.

This year's circus-themed fair provided a mix of education and entertainment to busloads of Headstart toddlers.

After a skit with Dudley the dinosaur, a fortune teller asked a puppet about his dental care. After the puppet admitted to eating sugary foods and forgetting to brush, the fortune teller pulled out a set of grisly teeth named Mr. Gross Teeth, hinting at the puppet's cavity-ridden future. Children in the audience gasped.

They moved on to squirt guns at balls that were marked with a black marker to represent sugar bugs. Children who succeeded in squirting the bugs earned a healthy snack and goodie bag.

The clowning around helps educate and deliver an important message, Headstart Health and Nutrition coordinator Melissa Morgan said.

"I'm responsible for the health and services of 262 children around Southeast Alaska. We serve 10 different communities, six in Juneau and nine rural communities," Morgan said.

Morgan, who wore a clown hat for the event, said she appreciates SEARHC's support in this effort.

"It's a huge responsibility, and the more support and collaboration we get from agencies that also serve these communities, the better off we are in making a real difference in children's lives." Morgan specifically appreciates SEARHC's dental hygienist, Lexi Olson.

"Lexi comes into our classrooms and really promotes dental hygiene; we have the kids brush twice a day and it's a great collaboration between SEARHC and Headstart."

Olson also is in charge of facilitating the annual fair. This year's circus theme was inspired by a typical day at their office.

"We have to juggle patients and everyone is busy running between the 12 dental chairs, so it reminds me of a circus," Olsen said.

Dr. Kim Hort, a pediatric dentist who works in their busy office, said the fair is useful.

"We want kids to experience the clinic in a very friendly and non-threatening way. Some of these kids have never been to the dentist before and they've heard stories from siblings or friends that have kind of made them anxious about coming, and we want them to see that the dental clinic can be a very fun place to visit."

Valerie Gamble-Houston, vice president of Headstart policy, understands the anxiety.

"It's important because little people who have to come have work done on their teeth, no matter how happy the rooms are and how kid-friendly the staff is, it's still uncomfortable to be in the chair with their mouth open - all the sounds and teeth poking," she said. "This dental fair gives them a chance to see all the equipment being used, outside their mouth, so they get to see where all the noises are coming from."

Della Lewis, 3, shook her goodie bag when asked what her favorite part of the visit was. Children were treated to healthy snacks and a box full of dinosaur toothbrushes, covers, floss, toothpaste and a timer to make sure they brush their teeth long enough. And maybe, next time Lewis thinks about skipping a brushing, she'll remember Mr. Gross Teeth.

Authentic living is only fair

By Courtney Nelson | Straight Talk

There's nothing like a death, divorce or incarceration to shake out family secrets.

Relatives near and far, start asking questions to help grieve, plan memorials, arrange travel, obtain lawyers. Secrets come out during family shake-ups, and usually people finally start to tell stories.

All of the unpleasant events I just mentioned just occurred in my family. Consequently, I've been hearing so many family secrets that I'm feeling as shaken as a James Bond martini.

It is rare to find out a wonderful family secret such as Uncle Joe secretly donating millions to feed the poor.

Secrets are usually things like: eating disorders, excessive drinking or drug use, sexual abuse, greed, theft, lies and affairs. Most of these problems are based in a fear of people knowing who they really are or a fear of not being enough.

We could save ourselves a lot of heartache by being authentic and not keeping secrets. Airbrushed supermodels should be treated as harshly as steroid users. The outcome is the same - a status upgrade with a secret unnatural advantage.

If media icons would step down from their pedestals, there wouldn't be big sudden death shake-ups like Michael Jackson, who wouldn't reveal he had insomnia. Now his dancers are heartbroken, his concerts canceled, his children orphaned.

What if Tiger Woods had admitted he wasn't ready for commitment? Then the public would still get to watch Tiger play golf, be a good role model and date multiple women.

My uncle of 25 years had an affair with the bakery girl and took out secret loans when she started blackmailing him. He confessed to my aunt before the other woman could tell her.

What if my uncle would have noticed the attraction to "hot buns" as a sign of his shaky marriage which upon inspection would have ended or improved? Either way, he would have found happiness in authenticity.

(For the record, my uncle and the other woman eventually married despite learning about her extensive criminal history. It was annulled several days later when he woke up and discovered his new bride and another man had robbed him. The police at the station, tired of policing their relationship, refused to test his coffee he claimed she had poisoned.)

Play a game if you want. Pick a scandal, any scandal, and try and find the happy authentic outcome: John Edwards, Ted Haggard, Barry Bonds, Papa Pilgrim ... .

Storyteller Bill Harley recently came to town and stressed the power of telling our stories to the young. The oral passing of cultural history has all but been squeezed out by excessive media entertainment. We need to tell unflattering stories, too, so kids don't compare themselves to an illusion.

I'm guilty of attempting to show only good photos of myself. There aren't photos of me crying after not making the cheerleading squad, yet these are the stories that must be told.

Gov. Sean Parnell stated he'll take on domestic violence and child abuse in Alaska, which is twice the national average. The first public discussion meeting was standing room only. By exposing these family secrets, they lose power and can be replaced with a constructive force. SEARHC in Sitka understands this and has announced it's bringing back the talking circle for health.

With some of us in Juneau living far away from family, we have to get creative to have a family talking circle. I was writing in a coffee shop when my mom video skyped me with family news. I had a virtual coffee date with my mom, and when I went for the creamer she chatted with other patrons, a surreal talking head sitting on the table. I had a conference call with relatives in different cities.

If you won't live authentically for yourself, do it for your family so they have a chance to be happy. By the way, if you would like to talk to my mom, we are there Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

• Courtney Nelson is a Juneau resident breaking it down with sassy, sensible truths. She can be reached at nelsonfamily@acsalaska.net">nelsonfamily@acsalaska.net.