NEWHALL DENTIST MAKING SURE PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN.Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer The 8-year-old girl sat as still as could be while dentist Mehran Abbassian cleaned her teeth, filled one and sealed four. It was her first time in the chair and Abbassian spoke softly to her, allaying any fears and giving her brief instructions. It was a labor of love for the Iranian-born dentist, who has pledged to treat half of the 80 needy need·y adj. need·i·er, need·i·est 1. Being in need; impoverished. See Synonyms at poor. 2. Wanting or needing affection, attention, or reassurance, especially to an excessive degree. children identified by the local Foundation for Children's Dental Health as lacking oral care. ``I was lucky enough to have dental care when I was young, but I have five children and I understand what it's like for a parent when their child is in pain,'' Abbassian said. ``If they hurt, you hurt, and if I can help these parents take away their children's pain then we all benefit.'' Abbassian is one of six local dentists who have agreed to a flat rate of about $230 per child, offering services worth as much as $1,000 per patient for cleaning, X-rays, fillings, extractions, minor root canals root canal n. 1. The chamber of the dental pulp lying within the root portion of a tooth. Also called pulp canal. 2. and sealants. Some children return as many as five times to complete treatment. The foundation selected children from the Newhall and Castaic elementary school elementary school: see school. districts who come from low-income families and who are in need of dental care. Services are provided free. Some of the children are 11 and have never been to a dentist. Some have such bad decay that several teeth must be extracted, Abbassian said. A big part of the program involves educating parents about oral hygiene Oral Hygiene Definition Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth clean and healthy by brushing and flossing to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. and diet to best care for their children's teeth, Abbassian said. ``You can fix all the problems, but if you don't educate, in a few years they'll be in the same predicament Predicament Dancy, Captain Ronald must persecute friend to save own skin. [Br. Lit.: Loyalties, Magill I, 533–534] Gordian knot inextricable difficulty; Alexander cut the original. [Gk. Hist. they are now,'' he said. Abbassian already has seen about 12 of the 40 needy youngsters scheduled for visits this month. His regret is that much of his work is treating existing problems not providing ongoing preventive care Preventive care is a set of measures taken in advance of symptoms to prevent illness or injury. This type of care is best exemplified by routine physical examinations and immunizations. The emphasis is on preventing illnesses before they occur. See also
``There are 90 general dentists in this area and if each one saw one child a week, imagine the difference we could make.'' Information about the foundation is available by calling founder Mary Caravalho at 253-2484. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--color in SAC Sac: see Sac and Fox. SAC - 1. An early system on the Datatron 200 series. [Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)]. edition only) Newhall dentist Mehran Abbassian works on a youngster's mouth. (2--color in SAC only) A girl undergoes a dental examination from Dr. Abbassian, who offers his services for a reduced fee to about 40 children. (3--color in SAC only) Abbassian and dental assistant dental assistant n. A person trained to assist a dentist with clinical and administrative procedures. Joy Miller see one of the office's young patients. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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