As kids come back for screenings, dentists seeing more tooth decay [View all]

Claire Freemyers sat up from the chair in her dentist’s office and ran her tongue around her mouth.

“It feels weird,” the nine-year-old said, feeling the spot where Dr. Leslee Huggins had just filled a hole in a baby tooth with a soft, Play-Doh like substance.

Huggins, a children’s dentist who works at Gentle Dental in northeast Salem, said she’s spent much of the past year treating cavities in children under her care, using soft fillings that don’t require drilling. The goal is to stabilize the tooth and prevent further decay so it can fall out naturally as the child’s teeth grow.

In the clinic, most of her child patients are insured through Oregon Health Plan, which offers coverage to low-income Oregonians. She’s also the outreach dental director at Capitol Dental Care, helping coordinate screenings at local public schools.

Read more: https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/5863/as-kids-come-back-for-screenings-dentists-seeing-more-tooth-decay