Students at Pine Bush Central School District’s Pakanasink Elementary School got a lesson in dental health when Ronald J. Lowe III, a Pine Bush alumnus and fourth-year dental student at the University at Buffalo School of Dentistry, visited to talk dental hygiene.
Lowe went to Mrs. Lowe’s pre-K, and the kindergarten classes of Mrs. Stelmaszyk, Mrs. Andryshak, Mrs. Antonelli and Mrs. Lawla to deliver a message to the youngest members of the school community – the importance of dental health.
Lowe opened the program by talking with the students and asking questions about their brushing habits. He including how often to brush, how long to brush, how many teeth they have and what foods and drinks are good for their teeth.
“The purpose of this visit was to educate preschool and kindergarten children on the importance of dental health,” said Lowe. “We need to make the presentation fun, with hands-on activities. They’re learning at a young age that taking care of their teeth is important.”
Included in Lowe’s presentation is brushing, flossing and a lesson in nutrition
“I instruct them how to properly brush and floss their teeth, and then we discuss nutrition. Nutrition is an important component to oral health because many of today’s foods contain hidden sugars,” Lowe said.
“It’s good for children to learn about eating healthy foods, which is especially important today when there is so much unhealthy food out there,” Lowe continued. “What they learn in preschool will influence them for the rest of their lives. Many fruit juices have added sugar and can be harmful to your teeth. Sport and energy bars, as well as fruit snacks that appear to be healthy, can also contain a lot of sugar.
Lowe recommends that a child’s first trip to the dentist should be scheduled when he or she is about a year old.
“That first dental exam can have a huge impact on them,” he said. “It’s important to create a positive impression so they will look forward to visiting the dentist.”
After his graduation from Pine Bush High School, Lowe graduated summa cum laude from Le Moyne College in 2016 with a bachelor of science degree in biology and minors in business administration, chemistry and philosophy.
During his first year of dental school, he took a course entitled, “Psychosocial Issues in Dentistry” and realized many children throughout the world who are impacted by cancer each year develop oral problems due to various treatments and procedures. As a result, Lowe founded Saving Smiles, https://savingsmilesincorp.wixsite.com/website, a not-for-profit organization that financially assists pediatric cancer patients acquire dental services.