When I was a kid there were no pediatric dentists. Dentistry was not the science it is now, although many advancements had been made and just having fluoride in our water helped my generation have better teeth and gums than the ones before. Now we know that good dentistry actually begins with babies, with diet, and with consistent dental care. Great specialization has taken place and we now have highly trained professionals in wonderful child-friendly offices and atmospheres, with state-of-the-art equipment. It has made a world of difference and parents should make sure their children visit their dentist early on in their lives, just like they do with their pediatrician.
This is Children’s Dental Health Month and a good time to consider whether your family has found the practice you need to ensure your children’s good health. Dentistry is an essential part of it and one has to wonder why it’s so often left out of the “health care” portfolio. I strongly believe we need to band together on this topic and get our insurance companies/plans and our legislators to include dentistry in our health coverage. One of the problems, it seems to me, is that all of these decision makers already have their own coverage for their families in their very rich and broad health care packages, and that, like many other things in life, it’s an “I’ve got mine” mentality that leaves so many of the rest of us without. There isn’t a Congressional office holder with this problem and I’ve discovered that most people are unaware that just one term in office guarantees a person benefits for life. These benefits are real “Cadillac” plans and not many of us have them.
This is also the month when we really know winter is here and it usually gives us a bit of a beating. Fortunately we had a mild December and January in most ways, so hopefully we won’t mind too much the winds of February. This year we will have one more day in February, so enjoy the Leap Year extra day!
And finally, there’s Valentine’s Day. A good day of business for restaurants and florists. It used to be a good day for the greeting card industry but I think perhaps email has put a dent in that option. The thing I always loved about Valentine’s Day was making a card for the people I loved, especially my parents. Cutting and pasting is still something I enjoy and working with construction paper. I think I’m going to get started right now to make some cards. I hope both you and I get some nice cards, home made from our children. It’s a wonderful feeling, and if we do, we can thank our lucky stars.
Have a great month! Thanks for reading.
