As many of you know Tim recently got back from a trip with a great group of people to do dental work at an orphanage in Fedja & a more remote rural area in Thomassique.  So many of our patients gave towards our efforts to take basketballs and flip flops to the kids at the orphanage and we are so thankful for all that you did to help.  Some pictures are posted on our Facebook page if you want to see them here:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/LittletonDentistry/304973457933

We thought that it would be a one week adventure but in this case, the journey is just beginning.  While in Haiti, Tim had the pleasure to get to know a special couple who was also along on the trip.  Matthew is a teacher at Cherry Hills school and is married to a special lady named Julia.  They were considering adopting a child at some point but while in Haiti they were literally handed a child whose family was unable to care for her any longer.  Matthew & Julia named her Adele and she was able to spend a few days with them before they had to leave her at the orphanage with plans for adoption already in the works.  Mary Jo, another gal on the trip blogged about what happened so if you are interested in the details, visit her writings here:  http://maryjoaguilera.blogspot.com/2011/04/baby-adele-mercy.html?spref=fb

We wanted to share this with you because in addition to the basketballs, flip flops and dentistry that you all supported so generously, you also helped get this group of people somewhere where a little girl’s life will be changed forever.  Here’s a picture of baby Adele and we’ll keep you posted on her journey:

The Tooth Fairy Gives HOW Much?

Whether it’s the result of an improving economy or simple generosity, the Tooth Fairy is slipping a lot of money under pillows in exchange for baby teeth. The nationwide average in 2010 was $2.52 per tooth, an 18 percent increase from a year earlier.

That’s the word from the annual Tooth Fairy Poll conducted by Delta Dental of Minnesota, which points to the busy fairies as proof the economy is gradually improving.

While the Tooth Fairy increased her handout by 18 percent in 2010, the Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased 17.2 percent during the same period.

“The Tooth Fairy may be another indicator that the economy is on pace for a steady recovery,” said Ann Johnson, director of community affairs for Delta Dental of Minnesota.

Fun facts to know and tell:

• 84 percent of parents surveyed reported that the Tooth Fairy visits their home. 
• Tooth Fairy monetary gifts ranged from one penny to $100. 
• 86 percent of parents surveyed reported that the state of the economy has not impacted Tooth Fairy giving in their household. 
• 70 percent of children ages 2 and 3 years old visit a dentist for the first time. 
• 90 percent of parents polled said their child receives a regular dental exam every six months. 
• More than 65 percent of parents surveyed indicated their children consume an average of one to two sugary drinks and/or treats per day. 
• 55 percent of parents report that their children brush their teeth in the morning, and 60 percent of children brush at night, while only 2.2 percent brush at noon.

–From the Editors at Netscape

For those of you following the Haiti trip, here’s a quick update although the communication is very short text messages daily & not many details.

After a delay getting out of Denver there was a concern that they would miss their connection in Texas but fortunately they held the plane for them and they got into Miami on Tuesday night as planned.  Spent the night and made it to Haiti on Wednesday morning.  They were able to get the trucks rented, arrived at theh orphanage in Fedja, had dinner and visited.  They set plans for working the basketball camp, dental clinic and building the security wall then headed back Thursday morning to get started.

This afternoon I got a text from Blake, our pastor stating that the dental clinic was going awesome their first day.  They saw 65 kids at the orphanage, pulled over 20 teeth and did about a dozen fillings.  He said “Very rough circumstances and a hard experience to watch.  Extremely brave kids.  Heart-breaking experience, but our team is loving these people the best we can . . . ”

More updates as I get them & thanks for all the well wishes and prayers for the group!

Sandi

This is just the beginning of the supplies that you have so generously donated towards for the Haiti trip!  To date there is $875 that has been donated for basketballs and nets and flip flops to take for the kids at the orphanage.  In addition to you wonderful friends and family that have supported this venture, we also want to do a shout out to Patterson Dental supply and our rep, Melissa for helping us with supplies like much needed gloves and toothbrushes.  Another thank you to Dr. Tom Stone for his donation and Dr. Rich McLain for donating supplies that can be used for extractions.  While we know the dental work will be appreciated, thanks for helping us bring some fun to the kids too!  We look forward to sharing pictures of these balls being used in a couple of weeks!

If you’ll be dining out in Highlands Ranch, consider hitting Panda Express on University Friday to help support our Haiti trip. Panda is donating 20% of all meals sold Friday to our Haiti fund.  Don’t forget to take the flyer if you go:

Panda Flyer for Haiti

Thanks again for all your help!

For those of you following along with our Haiti dental clinic adventure, here’s an easy way you can help!  If you are in Highlands Ranch this week-end and eat at the Qdoba on University & HR Pkwy (by Whole Foods) on either Friday or Sunday, Qdoba will donate $1 to the Haiti trip.  You have to take the flyer in with you for us to get credit for the donation. 

Here’s a copy of the flyer you can print out:

Qdoba Flyer

And many thanks to all of our wonderful friends, family and patients who have supported this trip by donating for us to purchase basketballs for the Haiti kids.  In case you missed it, while we are doing the dental clinic at the orphanage part of our team will also be doing a basketball clinic through a great outreach called Hoops for Hope.  We’ll be taking basketballs to leave for the kids so they can enjoy them long after we are gone.  Thank you so much!

After many years of wanting to go to Haiti on a mission (and one cancelled trip due to the earthquake) plans have finally come together to go March 22-29. Tim will be part of a team of 16 people traveling together and will be serving in the villages our church has supported for the past 16 years. He will be traveling with our dear Haitian friend Yves who has continually been a source of encouragement to the people of his homeland. He will be working with an orphanage, school and church in Tomassique and Fedja.  The team will do a dental outreach clinic and also be building a much needed wall around the orphanage for safety which collapsed during the earthquake. He will have the opportunity to construct a roof on a school room which needs to be completed before the upcoming rainy season. The group is excited to lead a basketball clinic and host a tournament for the local kids in the community, as well as, work with the little orphans and help in the classrooms. As most of you know for Tim, being able to provide dentistry will be a gift he can give but participating in a basketball clinic for these kids will be a gift he will be on the receiving end of! We will also help with some teacher training as many of the teachers there have little or no formal training. We pray that God will use our gifts and hearts to meet the people’s needs and bring honor to Him. We are in need of your prayers as we travel and serve the Haitian people.

Our office is supporting the dental part of the missions trip with dentistry and as many supplies as we can pack.  If any of our regular readers are interested in supporting this effort, we are asking if you would consider donating $10 for a basketball for the outreach that was started by Bryan Smith called Hoops For Hope.  Anyone interested in donating the cost of a basketball can drop it off at our office or send a $10 check made payable to Cherry Hills Church, sent to our office at 7900 S. University Blvd., #210, Centennial, CO 80122.  We’ll keep you posted on the trip!

In keeping with our theme of promoting February as National Children’s Dental Health Month, here is another blog link moms and dads might find useful.  They have helpful information about how to keep your kids on track for oral health.  From their site “According to the US Surgeon General’s Report, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness.  Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood ailment – 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever”.  Keep your kids on track with tips on making the most of preventive care! 

Visit TwoothTimer’s site for more information and check out their blog where you can get their email newsletter at:  http://blog.twoothtimer.com/

Our regular readers and patients have probably seen many times information from us about our sock drops or coat collections for St. Elizabeth’s soup kitchen downtown Denver.  We love their program because it’s the most basic, hands-on way to help someone one-to-one that we’ve seen. 

I’m writing about it again today because yesterday was my shift to serve soup and, as you all know, it was very cold (as in -17 degrees cold!) and we serve the men soup outside in an alley.  They often line up 2 hours before serving and there are no tables or chairs, they eat on the ground or take it with them.  I wondered if there would even be anyone there.  After all, it was dangerously cold and my hope was that area shelters were staying open during the day so that there was a better place to get lunch than our outdoor buffet!  No such luck.  We normally serve about 100 men, yesterday there were about 40 but about half of them made note about how they are still sleeping outside even with the current temperatures.  One man described his tent so that we might recognize it when driving past Colfax.  Another was wearing a Pittsburg Steelers coat and (as you probably know) our family are Steelers fans so Iasked him if he’d be cheering them on in the SuperBowl this week-end.  He said he didn’t really care, he found the coat in a dumpster and it was the warmest thing he had.  Heartbreaking.

It’s evident in the group of men that there is a variable mix of mental illness and substance abuse histories that have contributed to them living on the streets.  It’s hard to wrap your brain around a way to truly make a difference with these folks when some of it is sad yet has varying degrees of self infliction.  We’ve all seen people holding signs for handouts and it’s hard to know where your money may end up.  At least here a bowl of soup goes a long way in touching someone one day at a time in a practical way.

I wanted to take a moment to thank a couple of very special helpers yesterday who came along.  Sam and Alex were volunteered by their mom to come with her for the day because my shift was short handed.  What a gift it was for these  men to see their beautiful smiles and helpful demeanor.  They were hard workers with generous spirits and they didn’t grumble a bit when their hands were numb from the crazy cold temperatures.   Thanks to both of you for lending your servant’s hearts yesterday!

We will continue to do Sock Drops throughout the year and anytime you have old winter coats or mens clothing, feel free to drop it by our office at your next appointment.   We’ll make sure they get in needy hands! 

For more information about St Elizabeth’s visit here: http://stelizabethdenver.org/ministries/outreach/

Since February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, we’d like to kick it off by reminding you to be sure to get your kids in for their regular dental appointment hygiene visits and exams.  So many costly and painful dental appointments can be avoided by good home care along with regular 6 month check ups.  If your child has never visited the dentist, don’t despair!  For younger children under the age of 3 we recommend a Happy Visit first where there’s no actual procedures being done.  Little ones get to meet the hygienist and dentist, sit back in the chair, check out the equipment, get some easy toothbrushing tips in a relaxed environment and take home a toy & toothbrush.  If your child is older but never been to the dentist now is a perfect time to ease your way in.  We recommend starting with a dental cleaning where we do xrays to see if there is any tooth decay followed by a painless cleaning designed to make your child’s first visit a positive experience. 

Of course, we’d all like to prevent tooth decay rather than have to deal with filling later.  Here is a link to a Toothbrush chart for kids from Crest that moms may find easy to print off and keep by the sink:  http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/dhm/DHM2011_Checklist.pdf

More kid friendly info to come throughout the month!