[Film leader] [Mailman delivering mail] [Narrator:] We all knowthis scene, don't we? A sunny morning on a quiet,ordinary-looking neighborhood street. Ah, but it's no ordinaryday for the little girl who lives in this house. Something special, somethingexciting is happening to her. It's her birthday. And here's the mailman with ahandful of messages for Alice. Birthday cards sent byher relatives, friends, and playmates. Among them is one special,one very, very special birthday card. Because, you see,today, Alice is three. [Music] [Today... Alice is Three] [Music fades out] [Mother and Alice open mail] What's so extra specialabout this birthday card? Well, listen to what it says. [Mother reading:] "Happy birthday! Hey, I hear you arethree years old. Leastways that'swhat I've been told. Three is a wonderful age to be. You're very importantwhen you are three. There is somethingyou should do now that you're much more than two. See your dentist right away. Make sure yourteeth are all OK." [Narrator:] A very specialbirthday message indeed. Now that Alice is more thantwo, it is vitally important that she make her firstvisit to the dentist. [Mother dialing the phone] Alice's motherexplains that the best time to make an appointmentwith the dentist is right now. If we put it off untiltomorrow, we might forget. Alice's mother is aconscientious parent who safeguards the health ofher child every day in every way by proper diet, plenty of sleep,and frequent medical and dental checkups. She realizes that Alice'steeth are tremendously important to her total health. Betty suggests that she sendAlice's mother literature prepared by the AmericanDental Association, which helps parentsprepare their child for the important firstvisit to the dental office. Betty checks herappointment book and finds a convenient timefor Alice's first visit, two weeks from today. Alice's mother alsolearns from Betty that parents can almostguarantee their children's sound, healthy teethand gums for a lifetime by following a program ofregular dental checkups and by practicing sound dentalhealth procedures in the home. Dr. Friend willexplain to Mother exactly which dental healthsafeguards should be followed. [Signage, Dr. B. A. Friend, Dentist] Ordinarily, little childrenhave no fear of the dentist unless they are taught to fearby adults or older children. Mother and Alicehave talked about the interesting new experienceof visiting Dr. Friend. Mother has explainedwhy it is so important to visit the dentist regularly. As a result, Alice islooking forward eagerly to her first appointmentwith Dr. Friend. And what do you know? Mother was right. Look at this, a regular playroomand all these picture books. "Oh, this is fun," thinks Alice. [Alice at table with books] But now it's time forBetty, the dental assistant, to take Alice intothe dental office. Mother remains inthe waiting room. Some dentists prefer to examinea child without the parents standing by. However, because parents anddentists must work together to assure children alifetime of smiles, Dr. Friend will talkwith Mother later and explain to herthe various aspects of Alice's daily dentalhealth program in the home. Meanwhile, Alice is learningall about the dental office from Betty. However, Mother, afterhaving read American Dental Associationpamphlets, has already taught Alice a great dealabout dental office procedures, and equipment, and theprofessional uniforms worn by the dentistand his assistant. When Dr. Friend meets Alice,he knows how vitally important it is that this firstvisit be pleasant, for it will influence herattitude toward dental care for the rest of her life. While Betty prepares Alicefor her dental examination, Dr. Friend entershis outer office for his firstconference with Mother. Today's dentist doesmuch more than merely repair decayed teeth andtreat various gum diseases. He acts to prevent dental healthproblems before they begin. He functions as adental health educator, instructing parents on how theycan keep their children's teeth and gums sound and healthy byfollowing proper dental health procedures in the home. Dr. Friend informsAlice's mother that the first dentalexamination of a child should take place by thetime all 20 primary teeth are in the mouth, generally whenthe child is between two and a half and three years old. Occasionally, a childyounger than two and a half must see a dentist. About 50% of alltwo-and-a-half-year-old children show evidence of decayin one or more primary teeth. Dr. Friend, using a mouthmirror and an explorer, carefully examineseach of Alice's teeth. He reports whateverdefects he finds to his assistant, who recordsthem on Alice's dental chart. It is importantfor parents to know that each toothhas five surfaces and that decay may occur onany or all of the five sides. However, the dentist does muchmore than just examine teeth. Dr. Friend examines thetissues of Alice's mouth. He checks her bite, that is,the alignment of her teeth. He examines her glandsfor any telltale swelling that may be causedby infected teeth. And there is one moreextremely important step that Dr. Friend willtake before completing Alice's dentalexamination and diagnosis. Using only his mouthmirror and explorer, the dentist cannot be expectedto detect all tooth defects. In order to make absolutelycertain that no hidden cavities lurk betweenAlice's teeth, Dr. Friend takes X-ray pictures. Scientific studies show thatwithout the aid of X-rays, the dentist misses a certainamount of beginning decay, tiny spots of decay that canrapidly become large cavities if not treated immediately. With today's modern equipmentand protective measures, dental X-rays are a safeand essential procedure for a complete dental diagnosis. [Dr. Friend takes X-ray pictures] [Alice smiles at Dr. Friend] Once more, Dr. Friendconsults with Mother, explaining some of the findingsin Alice's dental examination. Most particularly, hewishes to call her attention to the location of thefirst permanent molar, known as the six-year molar, becauseit will appear in Alice's mouth about the time sheis six years old, an important tooth andone of the most neglected. Dental records show it tobe the most diseased tooth in the mouth. Parents should watch carefullyfor the six-year molar to erupt, that is,grow through the gum. Parents should pay carefulattention to its care. If this permanent six-yearmolar is ever lost, no other tooth willgrow in to replace it. Dr. Friend wishesto make certain that Alice's mother knowsexactly where to look for the importantsix-year molar when it begins growing through thegum tissue in Alice's mouth. [Alice's mother, inaudible] [Alice close up of mouth] It will appear there, justbehind the last primary molar. [Alice close up of mouth] While Alice's X-raysare being developed, Dr. Friend and Motherresumed their talk. He explains thatprimary teeth are extremely important forchewing, speech, and appearance. Primary or babyteeth have much to do with the condition of thepermanent teeth, which will grow in later. Many primary teeth remain inthe mouth for 11 or 12 years. They must be maintainedin a healthy condition until they are replacedby permanent teeth. Dental studies showthat generally, if primary teeth are maintainedin a sound healthy condition, the permanent teeth which followwill also be sound and healthy. Should a child, eitherthrough accident or neglect, lose his primaryteeth too early, his speech may be handicapped. These twins, because theirfront teeth are missing, have developedpoor speech habits. And they are undergoing speechtherapy to correct them. Naturally, every child iswithout his front teeth for a short time. Normally, however,permanent teeth grow in quickly tofill the vacant space. Teeth are vitally necessaryfor good appearance. Loss of even one fronttooth can radically alter a person's appearance. Whenever a primary tooth islost earlier than it should, either throughaccident or neglect, the teeth on either sidewill tend to lean or drift into the open space,closing it up, making it difficult or impossiblefor the permanent tooth to grow in later. Because, like a rottenapple in a barrel, a decayed tooth may causeother teeth to decay. It often must beremoved by the dentist. A space maintainer,as seen here, keeps the space left bythe missing tooth open. [Space maintainer closeup] This X-ray picture alsoshows the permanent tooth growing beneath the gum. When it is ready toerupt through the gum, the space maintainerwill be removed. What causes tooth decay? Bacteria, which are foundin everyone's mouth, feed on sugar to produce apowerful acid which attacks and destroys tooth enamel. Therefore, sugar is thegreatest enemy of teeth. Each time a child or anadult eats a meal or snack, he consumes a certainamount of sugar. Immediately, the mouth bacteriabegin feeding upon the sugar and rapidly producing acid. Acid can go to workon tooth enamel as quickly as threeminutes after eating. And this acid action canlast as long as 90 minutes. Notice the peaks and valleys onthe chart held by Dr. Friend. Notice that acidformation in the mouth rises sharply after each meal. The same condition occursfollowing between-meal snacks. It's easy to see thateach time a child consumes candy, cake, pie,cookies, or other sweets, this decay actionbegins automatically and almost immediately. The dental profession doesnot wish to condemn children to a sweetless existence. However, the wise parentcontrols the amount of sweets eaten by childrenby substituting foods with less sugar content. For example, forbetween-meal snacks, in place of sugary cookies,give tasty crackers or deviled eggs, whichhave a high food value. [Food tray items] In place of sugaror saturated drinks, offer them fruitjuices and milk, which are far more nourishing. Or try the traditionalAmerican hot dog, which is far lesssugary, for example, than a jelly peanutbutter sandwich. Apples are excellent snackfood, and they help clean teeth while being eaten. By substituting nourishingfoods such as these for sweets, parents can cut the decayrate of their children's teeth substantially. However, parents must do more. They must make certainthat their children brush their teeth regularly. Dr. Friend informsAlice's mother that the toothbrush,properly used, is the best weapon in the dailyfight against tooth decay. Brush teeth as they grow,upper teeth downward, lower teeth upward. Give each tooth 10 strokes. Brush front, back,and top of each tooth. Work bristles between teethto remove debris lodged there. Remember, decay actioncan begin as soon as three minutes after eating. So brush immediatelyafter each meal or snack. If one cannot brush each time,rinse the mouth vigorously with water to wash away foodparticles clinging to teeth. Remove the food particlesthat stick to teeth and lodged between them, and thebacteria in the mouth starve. They then cannot produce theacid which attacks and destroys teeth. Even at three,Alice is old enough to brush her teethproperly, but only under the watchfuleye of her mother. Surprisingly enough,many individuals don't know the propertoothbrushing technique. And knowing it canprevent much tooth decay. Any dentist is happyto demonstrate. Mother will have Alice practiceat home so that she knows how. [Inaudible] [Alice and motherreceiving instruction] Alice's X-rays arenow ready for viewing. They show Dr. Friendthat Alice has some small areas of beginningtooth decay between the teeth. It is important forparents to realize, as Alice's mother does, thatwithout the aid of X-ray, the tiny beginning decayareas in a child's teeth probably will escapedetection by the dentist. Dental decay knows no age. Many two and a half andthree-year-old children already have beginning decay,which can spread quickly, causing a large cavity. Filling tiny cavitiesat once halts decay, saves costly repairs later. Compare Alice's X-rays withthese of a four-year-old. Note the developing permanentteeth growing down from above. But is this a sadpicture of neglect. Rampant decay has all butdestroyed these primary teeth. Mother asks what else canbe done to assure Alice the best in dental health. There is one moredental procedure that will help Alice, theproper use of fluorides. Your dentist will advise youregarding the type of treatment he recommends in accordance withthe type of fluoride he uses. Alice should have her firsttopical treatment now. Today, however, the mosteffective and safe health measure to combat toothdecay is the daily ingestion of the recommended amount offluoride in drinking water. It is most beneficial duringthe growing period of the teeth. Now Alice's first dentalexamination is completed. And as a rewardfor good behavior, Dr. Friend gives her an apple,one of the recommended snack foods low in sugar. The important dental healthsteps for parents to follow are these. Regular visits to the dentistbeginning at age three, as Alice did. Control the amountof sweets eaten. Sugar destroys teeth. Substitute non-sugary foodsfor between-meal snacks, proper toothbrushing immediatelyafter each meal or snack, making the best use offluorides by drinking community water with therecommended fluoride content, and topical treatment of afluoride solution by a dentist to the teeth. [Dental healthsteps for parents] Yes, Alice is three. A fortunate little girl becauseher mother and her dentist are working together tosafeguard her dental health. Children borntoday whose parents follow the dentist-prescribedmeasures can be sure of sound,healthy teeth and gums throughout their childhood. And if these children, asthey grow to adulthood, continue to follow properdental health procedures, they can count on keepingtheir permanent teeth in a healthy condition for life. Yes, indeed. The dental professionoffers today's youngsters a lifetime of smiles. [Produced by: Minnesota StateDental Association] [Music] [Mother and Alice drive away] [Produced by: Minnesota StateDental Association] [Credits] [Fade to black]