LEIS ARE STACKED UP HIGH.
AND HUGGING AND CELEBRATING WITH
"LIVING 808."
THE HAWAI'I DENTAL ASSOCIATION
HAS A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
KIM NGUYEN IS HERE WITH US
TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
Trini: HOW EXCITING.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS THE HDA
BEEN UP TO?
A LOT.
A LOT OF EDUCATION.
WE JUST COMPLETED OUR SERIES OF
GIVE KIDS A SMILE COMMUNITY
EVENT.
KHON WAS A PARTNER.
THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT.
OVER 150, CLOSE TO 200 KEIKI GET
SCREENINGS, GET DENTAL
EDUCATION.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER
DENTISTS COME OUT.
IT'S ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION.
Trini: THIS IS SO
IMPORTANT.
AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE
DENTISTS ARE VOLUNTEERS.
AND THIS IS A FREE EVENT FOR
LOCAL CHILDREN.
IT'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S ON A WEEKEND.
WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL OR
IN SCHOOL EDUCATION LEADING UP
TO IT.
AND IT'S OUR VOLUNTEER DENTISTS,
MANY ARE YOUNG IN THEIR
PROFESSION HELPING TO SPREAD THE
IMPORTANT?
MY GOSH, TRINI, YOU MAY HAVE
HEARD THAT HAWAI'I, WE
UNFORTUNATELY RANK NUMBER ONE IN
RATE OF TOOTH DECAY AMONG THIRD
GRADERS.
A REPORT OUR STATE RELEASED END
OF LAST YEAR.
IN THAT CATEGORY.
WEWE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
REGULAR VISITS TO THE DENTIST
FOR?
HDA?
LET'S BE IN THAT ONE IN ORAL
HEALTH PREVENTION.
HAVING OUR PATIENTS ELEVATE
THEIR AWARENESS OF ORAL HEALTH.
IT'S PART OF OUR ENTIRE
WELL-BEING.
Trini: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
IS ONE CHALLENGE AND ONE SUCCESS
OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO?
THE CHALLENGE IS THIS NUMBER
ONE RATE OF TOOTH DECAY WITH
720% 72%
IS WHAT WE RANK AT.
WE SHOULDN'T NEED TO BE.
ONE SUCCESS IS WE HAVE A LOT OF
DEDICATED ORAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS, AND MANY ARE
EDUCATORS.
THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED
KIDS, ESPECIALLY AT THE YOUNG
AGE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
ORAL HEALTH.
SO I THINK WE'RE GETTING THERE.
Trini: EDUCATION,
ABSOLUTELY, IS KEY.
I KNOW FOR ME, THE KIDS LOVE
GOING TO THE DENTIST.
THEY LOVE GETTING THE LITTLE
TOYS.
A CAVITY AND THE OTHER DOESN'T,
THEY'RE LIKE, SEE.
THAT SIBLING RIVALRY.
EXACTLY.
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, YOU DO
BETTER.
Trini: YES.
THIS IS A NEW POSITION FOR YOU.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YOURSELF.
YES.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN HEALTH
EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER IN THE
PAST, SO I'M EXCITED TO WORK
WITH A VERY DEDICATED AUDIENCE.
THE WHOLE DENTAL TEAM.
WE HAVE JUST AWESOME SUPPORT
FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND
SO I'M REALLY LOOKING TO ELEVATE
THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, FROM KEIKI TO KUPUNA.
HAVE YOU.