39th Medical Group hosts tooth day for children Published Oct. 15, 2013 By Senior Airman Daniel Phelps 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Parents and children from across Incirlik Air Base were invited to a special day themed "Little Teeth, Big Smiles" for the children's chompers to be checked out at the 39th Medical Operation Squadron dental clinic here Oct. 12. Since Incirlik is such a small base there is not often time or manning available for dependents to have dental appointments here, a special day was set aside for them, said Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Loska, 39th MDOS registered dental hygienist and NCOIC of preventive dentistry. About 15 volunteers from the 39th Medical Group came in and worked on their weekend to help out the 34 families scheduled for the event. "The kids need to be seen, and I'm happy to help," said. Capt. (Dr.) Matthew Miller, 39th MDOS dentist. Dental screenings and fluoride treatments were provided for the children to assess their needs. "According to the Center for Disease Control, 40 percent of kids will have developed cavities before they begin kindergarten," said Loska. "This event plays a role in helping prevent that." Isabella Bonfiglio brought in her 4-year-old and 1-year-old daughters for the screening. "I really appreciated this," she said. "We were able to easily bring in both daughters since it was a Saturday. This was also the 1-year-old's first time at a dentist." The event provided a tool to not only screen children, but to also educate children and parents on proper dental care, Loska explained. "Healthier mouths as children mean healthier mouths as adults," she added. The turnout for this event was a huge success, said Master Sgt. Francesca Seehausen, 39th MDOS dental flight chief. "We were able to get the children's dental health taken care of through this," she said. "We definitely plan on doing this again."