A few weeks ago, I took my children to the toy store with their “Samaritan’s Purse” shoeboxes in hand. I hoped to teach them how blessed we are, as there are less fortunate children who would be receiving only one of those shoeboxes for Christmas filled with whatever my children decided to put in it. I explained that the needy shoebox recipients often feel blessed when they are able to obtain clean water to drink and one or two good meals a day. Dental treatment, or simply the tools needed for basic dental hygiene, is out of reach for many of those kids. But poverty is a hard concept for my children to grasp living in the affluent East Cobb area.

Fillings, Root Canals and Crowns - What Blessings!

Dr. Cristi Cheek is the owner of Cheek Dental here in East Cobb. You may contact her at 770-993-3775 or visit www.cheekdental.com.

It is easy to take your smile for granted when you have access to good dental care and were raised by parents who encouraged you to have good oral hygiene. But even here in East Cobb there are those among us who are not so fortunate and live with daily dental pain and embarrassment. Right or wrong, we often make assumptions about people from the way they look, and teeth are an important part of one’s appearance. If you are fortunate enough to have your teeth and are able to afford dental care, be grateful! Keep your teeth and gums healthy by brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and seeing your dentist every six months for regular check-ups. And consider yourself blessed if you deal with only the occasional cavity, crown, bridge, or root canal. This means you still have teeth to treat, and what a boon healthy teeth are for chewing, speaking, image, and self-confidence!

Being able to meet the dental needs of people in our community is truly a joy to me and my dental team. And whenever a charitable organization has asked our office to volunteer to take care of a needy resident, we are more than happy to use the gifts we have been given to do so. A simple filling, crown, or extraction that eliminates a person’s pain or restores an unsightly tooth may truly change the world of that person. So if you have to spend a few hours at the dentist this holiday season getting a root canal or crown, remember to be grateful for good dental care and for your teeth!

This article originally appeared in the December issue of the EAST COBBER magazine, on page 9. Click HERE to access the digital edition.