More than 50 students from the Aiken County School District got their teeth cleaned at the annual “Give Kids a Smile” program at Aiken Technical College Friday to get dental plans.

But the children, selected through the school district by referral from nurses, will get additional treatment, said Aiken dentist Dr. Charlie Wyont, who has coordinated the Aiken County effort in the national program that provides the pro bono services.

Originally, dentists volunteering with the program went ahead and treated kids with cavities and other needs on the “Give Kids a Smile” day. But that time frame allowed only partial treatment, Wyont said. Last year, dental hygienists began a procedure of providing the children with a thorough cleaning, followed by screening from the dentists.

“Now the child gets a complete treatment in our offices,” said Wyont. “We aren’t seeing the same number of kids now. The first year, we had over 100 children, and it’s gone down each year. As this program has gone on, the dentists have visited schools for screenings, and nurses can also refer for abscesses or tooth decay. We’re getting feedback from the dentists that we’re seeing less problems in the schools. The system is working.”

ATC’s dental assisting program has hosted Give Kids a Smile since its start in Aiken County.

“I love having them here,” said the program director, Amy Johnson. “It’s a great learning experience for our kids and a good networking experience, too. It meets the needs of an underserved group of kids in the community. I wish we had the ability to do this more than once a year.”

Johnson’s students provided assistance as needed and observed the hygienists and dentists. A group of health science students from the Aiken County Career and Technology Center also coordinated games and other activities for children while they waited to see a hygienist and a dentist. One health science student, Elizabeth Hernandez, had a different assignment, serving as a translator for some of the kids. A native of California, Hernandez’s parents are from El Salvador.

“This has been great,” she said. “I look forward to doing it again. My hope of wanting to be a nurse has grown. So far the kids have been really excited. I think they felt more comfortable knowing I was there.”

Poor dental hygiene is one of the most common ailments in pets, mainly because of the difficulty in brushing your pet’s teeth. Bad dental hygiene can have severe consequences on your pet’s health.

Dr. David Jones, a veterinarian who specializes in dentistry at Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, says, “Eight-five percent of dogs and cats will have some notable level of gingivitis by the age of 2.”

Recognizing dental disease in pets is difficult and best left to your veterinarian. “Dogs and cats don’t complain much, and almost always are eating and drinking OK, even with broken teeth,” said Jones.

Common dental problems are plaque, gingivitis, missing teeth, tenderness and a bad smell.

“Occasionally you will see signs of oral pain such as dropping food, or chewing on one side of the mouth,” adds Jones.

He recommends daily brushing with a pet toothpaste as the best way to remove plaque and reduce gingivitis. By making brushing a daily routine, you will be more likely to spot dental problems.

Another option for an oral hygiene program is dental pet food such as Hill’s T/D or Eukanuba/Iams products with hexametaphosphate to reduce plaque and calculus. You can also try rawhide chews and topical treatments.

Dr. Jones cautions not to let your pet chew on bones, rocks, ice or sticks. They commonly cause broken teeth in dogs. And he advises that pets should have a regular dental examination at least every six months.

For those who have elderly pets and are concerned about anesthesia, Dr. Jones reassures us, “Older pets usually can have a safe anesthesia, it just takes them longer to recover. The general rule is that if they can walk in the front door, chances are that they will be walking back out afterwards.”

Julie Ford’s pug Yoda is a special member of the family. When family members started noticing his bad breath, she took him to Dr. Jones for a dental checkup.

With Ford watching and reporting each detail of the procedure, here’s what she observed:

Yoda was put under anesthesia. As he lay on the heated mattress and his vitals were monitored by machines, Dr. Jones examined Yoda’s teeth.

After a thorough teeth cleaning, Dr. Jones X-rayed the teeth and found an abscessed tooth. Overall, Yoda needed five teeth pulled. Even though he was under anesthesia, Dr. Jones still injected his gums with painkillers before extracting the bad teeth, so Yoda wouldn’t have much pain when he woke up.

After the anesthesia was turned off, Yoda awoke quickly, although a little groggy. He recognized his mom and then drifted back to sleep in the recovery room. Yoda stayed several more hours before he was able to go home that evening.

He was sent home with antibiotics and painkillers. “Yoda was allowed to eat wet food when he got home,” says Ford.

Yoda made a miraculous recovery from his oral surgery. “Each day, Yoda has gotten more and more energy. It’s so obvious to me now that he had been in serious pain before his teeth were pulled,” says Ford. “He has been chasing our cat around the house again. I am so, so glad that he’s feeling better.”