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Walkers brave cold for cause
More than 160 show for 'Miles for Smiles' fundraiser in Lansing
Andrea Byl
Lansing State Journal
Taking care of one's teeth does more than produce a healthy smile. Heart disease, premature birth and pancreatic cancer can all start from tooth decay, studies show. So, more than 160 walkers participated in the Miles for Smiles 5K walk around Hawk Island Saturday morning as part of the first effort by local Head Start to raise money to help more uninsured and under insured families get the dental care needed.
It was unclear Saturday how much money was raised.
Teresa Spitzer, coordinator for the fundraiser, said Head Start has seen an increase in children and parents in need of dental care.
The problem is the funding, she said, and it is hoped that the walk raises awareness.
"We thought, 'We have to answer their cries for help,'" she said. "We were treating kids with oral problems when their parents were just as bad."
During Saturday's event, tables under the park pavilion were filled with water bottles, bananas and bagels waiting for hungry walkers. Spitzer said she was happy with the turnout, despite the cold.
However the large warming room at Hawk Island was a popular destination where two clowns and the walk mascot, Miles the Tooth, stood making balloon animals and hats for the children.
Shauntel Carroll, 7, of Lansing, who was at the event with family, said she enjoyed it.
"At first it was great, and then my legs started to hurt," Shauntel said as she spread cheese on her crackers during a break. One case in particular made it clear that something had to be done for Lansing area residents in need of dental care, Spitzer said.
Emphasizing the seriousness of dental problems, Spitzer said that she knew of a mother whose gums were so infected she was continuously sick and vomiting, making it nearly impossible to care for her children.
"A lot of people don't realize dental health disease is five times more common than asthma," said Christine Farrell, Medicaid policy specialist for the Michigan Department of Community Health. "It's not going down and we need to start preventing it so it does go down."
In the Lansing area, 40 percent of children seen for dental care need a follow up, compared to the national average of 20 percent, said Ivan Love, executive director of Capitol Area Community Services.
Treatment for adults with decayed teeth costs around $1,000, Spitzer said, sum of money most uninsured families don't have.
Lauren Hall-Tate, a dentist in East Lansing, emphasized the importance of starting oral care at a young age.
"Early decay can make kids not like the dentist, and less likely to see a dentist later on," Hall-Tate said.