Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Nov 02/01) - Halloween is over, but kids will be eating lots of sugary candy for the next several days, if not weeks.

Dental therapist Cathleen Lesperance couldn't have arrived at a better time. She has plenty of tips for students on how to prevent cavities by brushing properly, using fluoride and eating properly.

Dental therapist Cathleen Lesperance and Ashley Rowe, 5, review proper brushing techniques. Lesperance, who arrived in the Deh Cho last week, will be serving several communities in the region. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

The latter may be nearly impossible at this time of year, but she encourages kids to brush three times per day, or at least before bed and after eating candy.

As a dental therapist, she will not only promote good dental habits but she will also clean children's teeth, fill their cavities and extract the occasional tooth when necessary -- but not until her equipment arrives sometime within the next few weeks.

Her primary focus will be on students, but she will see adult patients in emergency situations, she said.

Parents can be her biggest ally by promoting regular brushing in the home, she said. She's also hoping they will return the consent form she sent out this week. Without it she can't perform any work on their children's teeth.

Lesperance worked in the Dogrib region over the past two and a half years. Originally from Winnipeg, she's a graduate of the St. Boniface School of Nursing. After that, she decided to pursue her first love.

"I had braces when I was younger and I was always around the dental assistant," she recalled. "I thought they had a cool job and I thought I'd like to do something like that."

So she went on to complete the two-year dental therapy program in Prince Albert, Sask.

Part of her job is to alleviate children's fears of the dental office environment. She plans to do that by making visits to all Deh Cho communities before Christmas. She will introduce herself, hand out toothbrushes and demonstrate proper brushing technique. Gradually, she will make them familiar with her office and its implements, inviting them inside in pairs or small groups to make them comfortable.

"That's one thing I like about dental therapy, you can take your time to work with younger kids. If it's not working you can try again another day," she said. "In essence my goal is to make the visit as fearless as I can for the child."