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Stuffed tooth doll eases trips to dentist for kids
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - With a toothy grin, dentist Sonia Clesner hopes to win over children wary of oral hygiene.
Two years ago, she created an oversized stuffed tooth doll as a mascot for her Mount Airy practice, but the demand from parents and patients young and old got her sewing dozens of smaller dolls. When she got a request for 25 of the grinning, blue-eyed teeth, she decided to make it work for her.
“I wanted to make it in such a way that it was somewhat of an incentive for [children]. I incorporated good health habits into the doll, with the doll as a carrot” to get them brushing and flossing, Clesner said.
So the tooth has a back pocket for floss and a work pants-style strap to hold a child’s toothbrush. And the satiny plushness is meant to help small children overcome their dental-chair anxiety. “When a small child comes into the dentist’s office, and it’s unfamiliar and sterile-looking, all of a sudden, to have something soft and cuddly to hold onto is terrific,” said Jim Feldman, a colleague of Clesner’s who is considering using the dolls in his practice.
Then there’s the stick. “When I address a classroom or group, the look on their face when I tell them that gum disease has been connected to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other diseases,” Clesner said. “This is serious.”
She took some business management classes and is considering a side business. “I don’t know at this moment where it’s going to go,” she said. “I’m working to target 30 dentists in the state as a test market.”
khille@baltimoreexaminer.com
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11:13 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Medical center faces tough choices"
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Albert Franklin said:
However, when the County chooses to address the $2 billion dollars Jerry Brown bilked from them in a meaningful manner, then this should all become most academic!
16 agree | 14 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As an employee of SF General Hospital's psych dept., where none of us wear uniforms nor have lines on the floor that patients can't cross and where we train patients to take better care of themselves (including the activities of daily living such as nutrition, personal hygeine and the like), I am a bit mystified by John Nickens' comments. Has he been in a hospital in the past 20 years or so?
55 agree | 43 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I love the fact that they are turning Dore Alley (not Street) from an iconic Gay area into another crazy person magnet in the already crazy SOMA. Last year a doorman at the Powerhouse came to the defense of a patron being attacked by a nut-job housed across the street (along door alley) by another "non" profit. The police arrested the DOORMAN for gods sake, and the Powerhouse had to hold fundraisers to pay his legal expenses. Why is the City being allowed to take our great SOMA neighborhood and turn it into another Tenderloin? How sad.
50 agree | 39 disagree
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jacksmith said:
Insurance mandates are not universal health care. And politicians should stop calling it that. Nothing is Universal Health Care except "Single Payer Not For Profit Tax Supported Government Managed Health Care" (HR 676). Insurance mandates will be worse than what you have now. And what you have now is a complete, and total disgrace, and horror show. Insurance mandates will (require) you to buy insurance from the private insurance companies that have been ripping you off, and killing you by the thousands.
100 agree | 83 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
know of a guy who came here for a couple of years and got on the welfare medical roles in san francisco and had major surgery done to a problem eye he was born with in Mexico, had the work done at taxpayer expense and moved back to Mexico permanently. Wow and I can't even get medical insurance without breaking the bank.
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Jeff, an Independent said:
I wonder how many Illegal Aliens are going to exploit this...
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Examiner Reader said:
The sheep want to give O'Malley a health care victory.
110 agree | 110 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Another rash decision by the immature Ulman. You are going to have people move to Howard County just for the free medical insurance. That'll be good for the tax base. Ulman was "Secretary of the Cabinet" under Glendening, the worst MD governor in the last 30 years. Under Ulman's Cabinet leadership, Glendening created a structural deficit that we deal with still today. Ulman deserves the blame for this. Now we are going to support another big-government idea from him? Unless, of course, Ulman wasn't really "Secretary of the Cabinet" under Glendening. But that would mean he would have lied about his resume, which can't be the case.
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Stephanie Shantz said:
I'm sorry for going on and on, but if Dr. Renold Keyser wouldn' have told my parents what he found I would not be here today. It began when I was 6 months, then a different tumor when I was 5 years old. Dr. Howard Lederman was my Dr. at JHH, both are my angels. Even though I have lasting effects, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them both. Dr. Renold Keyser is from Hagerstown MD, I love them both and Dr. Howard Lederman is from JHH. Dr. Alex Hollar did my surgery, he was chief of surgery back then. I still keep in contact w both dr's. I was given a second chance. So if anyone that reads this has any doubt about their sickness Please go to JHH. They will save ur life. I'm now 26 yrs. old and doing great because of them. My email is sshantz123@yahoo.com if u have any questions or would just like to talk. I enjoy helping people and trying to give back what was given to me. Dr. Cindy Swartz was also a big help, however she's not there anymore, she moved to NY and is now the d
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Examiner Reader said:
Could this be the begining of the end. Med companies will probably buy up the Patents to save their income. How can we stop them?
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Examiner Reader said:
The below site has great information about hyperhidrosis and its treatments. They also offer Free brochures and a Free e-newsletter. www.SweatHelp.org
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Examiner Reader said:
Perhaps Miss Lietz should read the harvard medical school study that came out this march stating Indoor tanning prevents melonoma cancer, thats the Dana -Farber cancer institute, Miss Lietz was scheldued in Annapolis to address this at a legistative meeting she did not show, thats www.dana-farber.org
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Examiner Reader said:
I doubt that Miss Lietz will be telling the students about the Harvard Medical School's Dana Farber Cancer Institute study that concluded "Tanning Protects Against Skin Cancer." Miss Lietz should stop blaming herself for getting skin cancer. She should know by now that nothing she did caused her to get the disease. It's genetic. Tanning didn't cause it. Tanning salons are not to blame. The fact of the matter is, moderate tanning is healthy behavior. It prevents more diseases by the processing of vitamin D3. It's time for Miss Lietz to go back to Nursing School. She has a lot to learn.
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