Dentist participates in "Seal the State"
Photos by Darlene WyattStaff
Eleven selected third-graders from the county received free dental sealants last Thursday.
Dr. Terry Johnson and his staff volunteered to provide dental sealants to 11 third-graders as part of the "Seal the State" program. The sealants are used to provide extra protection on the chewing surfaces of children's permanent first molars.
OPEN WIDE - Dr. Terry Johnson explains the procedure he uses
to place dental sealants on permanent first molars to Matthew Rector (above) as the patient appears a bit pensive
about the proposal. Rector was one of eleven third-grade students who received free dental sealants last Thursday. Johnson and his
staff donated their time and materials for the statewide campaign, termed "Seal the
State."
The sealants are more beneficial when they are applied to teeth just after they come in and have not had a chance to decay, according to Rebecca Million, public health dental hygienist with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in Boone.
"The staff is donating their time also," Dr. Johnson said. "Everyone is giving here. It is a prevention educational process. Sealants work because from age six to 12 if we can get sealants on them, it will prevent cavities," said Johnson. "On the average they last four to five years. That helps prevent decay."