When local dentist Dr. Jack Von Bulow thinks about the health of his youngest patients, he cares about more than their brushing habits or how many cavities they have. In fact, Dr. Von Bulow, with help from the local Kiwanis Club, local dentists Drs. Fong, Lad, Cuccia and Patel, and his own dental team, is on a personal mission to provide every child in the region with one of the most important things children can have for their health and safety: a complete identification record. “Of course, you hope no parent ever has the need to use it, but I strongly believe that every child should have a complete, up-to-date identification record,” explained Dr. Von Bulow, a Crown Council dentist practicing in Temple City. “DNA and dental records are the best ways to identify children, and, with a new product, Toothprints®, I can create a complete record for a child easily, in just minutes.”
Toothprints is a thermoplastic wafer used by dental professionals to record a child’s tooth characteristics. Samples of the child’s DNA and scent are also captured by Toothprints. Parents keep Toothprints as a powerful identification tool to be used if their child is lost or abducted. Ideally, Dr. Von Bulow recommends that impressions be made at age three, after primary teeth have erupted, at seven, after permanent molars have erupted, and at 12, after permanent teeth have erupted.
On Friday, November 7, Dr. Von Bulow will be visiting Cloverleaf Elementary School to provide Toothprints for students. Funded by Kiwanis of Temple City and supported by the Temple City Chamber, L. A. Sheriffs, and Pasadena City College, Dr. Von Bulow’s Toothprinting visit to Cloverleaf is just the first step of what he hopes will be a far-reaching plan to provide this vital identification tool to every child in the region.
“As a dentist, I care for children’s oral health every day,” Von Bulow said. “But as a human, I care about the health and safety of every child. I see the headlines – Elizabeth Smart, Polly Klaas – and I want to do all I can to ensure that all of our children stay safe.”
Dr. Von Bulow has been providing advanced dental care services to clients in Southern California for more than 20 years, but he’s far from your typical dentist. In addition to using lasers, computer imaging, drill-free air abrasion and performing skilled cosmetic dentistry procedures, Von Bulow entertains his patients and community every week with his dental health column in local rag sheet, The San Gabriel Valley Weekly. Recently, he has collected the best of his columns into a book, Can We Smile, which explores everything from the dental profession, to sports, to the importance of family, all with a sense of humor not expected from a dentist. He will host a reading and book signing at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 7, at his dental practice, Temple City Dental, at 9929 E Las Tunas Drive.
Dr. Jack Von Bulow also is active in a broad range of professional and community activities to help spread his positive message about dentistry. He serves as a mentor for Eagle U, an inspirational leadership camp for kids, and as a facilitator for Dental Boot Kamp, a seminar for dental teams that teaches teamwork, business strategies, and interpersonal skills. In addition, Von Bulow partnered this year with the Anaheim Angels as associate sponsor of Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit & Run youth baseball competition. As associate sponsor, Dr. Von Bulow supported various levels of competition and will provide free dental care services to members of local Boys and Girls Clubs, the official charity of Major League Baseball.
For more information, please contact Cassie Gainer at 410-730-4133.