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 A
hard fact for parents to face – getting a dental
record/impression of their child’s teeth in the event of an
abduction or worse – is being made as easy as possible for
families in Royal Oak.
For Kids
Day 2003, Drs. Steve Gustafson and Shari Morningstar, of the
Gustafson and Morningstar Dental Practice on 11 Mile,
participated in the event, sponsored by Dr. Anna Saylor at
the Van Every Family Chiropractic Center.
The doctors
were there to promote Toothprints, which, as the literature
says, “hopefully you’ll never need to use.”
“It’s like
biting down on a wax imprint to have a mold of your teeth
taken,” Dr. Gustafson said. “Everyone knows what that feels
like. However, this isn’t wax – it’s a special material that
not only records the placement of the teeth for later
identification, but it also collects saliva and DNA samples.
“Shari and
I did about 160 impressions that day, from ages 2 through
16,” Dr. Gustafson said. “It’s designed specifically for
children. Once they bite down and it sets, we take it out of
the child’s mouth, put it in a Ziplock bag, put their name
and date on it and give it to the parents immediately.
Parents should take it home, put it in the back of the
freezer somewhere, and hope they never have to use it.”
Dr.
Gustafson says it’s wise to get Toothprints done three times
– when a child has his or her baby teeth; when they’re 7 or
8; and again at 12 or 13, when most of their permanent teeth
have come in.
Drs.
Gustafson’s and Morningstar’s daughter, Anna, was there,
warming up the bite plates. “She was beat after a couple
hours,” he said.
“Look on
this as another tool for safeguarding your children,” Dr.
Gustafson said. In case you missed the event, the Toothprint
technology is available at Gustafson and Morningstar’s
office, 940 E. 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, (248) 541-8770.
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