Two front teeth for Christmas

Her legs dangled from the chair while she waited patiently for her name to be called. Eight-year-old Jeilin Portillo hates going to the dentist, but she’s not the only one. A dental visit can be scary for children considering they’re presented with cold, metallic and usual instruments that poke around in their mouths. Most children will visit the dentist at least 10 times before their first day of kindergarten.

“I think my daughter may have a couple of cavities,” Jeilin’s mom, Blanca Portillo said. “So I wanted to bring her to see the dentist since our last doctor stopped taking our insurance. So this was a great chance to follow up and get her back to see a dentist regularly.”

According to Freeport dentist, Dr. Arthur Nathan, maintaining regular check-ups for kids is of utter importance as their “six-year molars,” the first permanent molars that usually erupt between ages six and seven years, are starting to come in and need to be properly taken care of. In support of that notion, Nathan opened the doors to his practice to offer free dental exams for children during the holiday season.

“I find that a lot of [parents] have neglected [going to the dentist] over a period of time,” Nathan said. “Whether you go to a dentist or not some people are just not following up, so I am trying to inform them that diagnose is one thing, but the follow up is most important If you don’t take care of [dental] problems, they can eventually become bigger problems.”

Initially, the free dental exams were only going to be available to Freeport parents until Dec. 22, however, Nathan says he’s will extend the date through Jan. 12, 2018 in efforts to give parents a little more time to get through the holiday season.

“My main goal is that children have good teeth and I’m happy to provide help,” Nathan said.

Nathan has high hopes that more parents will opt for the free dental exam and bring the children in.

After her exam, Jeilin picked out a pink and blue toothbrush and a toy from the basket. With a smile, she grabbed her mother’s hand and together they walked out the door.

“I’m here to help the community and I’d like to make parents aware that teeth are important,” Nathan said. “Let’s put it this way, you don’t just pick one part of your body and say this is more important. The same blood goes to your teeth, goes to your heart and to your toes. The entire body is important and without teeth, later on, there could be other health problems.”

To schedule an appointment call Dr. Arthur Nathan at 516-378-4140.