Besting Bullying

—/For Parents Besting Bullying (NAPSA)—As youngsters we all remember name-calling and teasing. The most common trig- gers for such abuse remain physical traits—hair, height, weight and teeth. Most teasing subsides with age and most kids come out of those awkward years unscathed. However, the National Asso- ciation of School Psychologists estimates 160,000 children stay home from school daily because they fear harassment. There are no guarantees that children will never encounter bul- lying or teasing, but children teased because of badly-positioned teeth can be helped. Orthodontists who provide early treatment can start to improve breathing, dental function and facial appearance of children as youngas8 or 4. The British Journal of Ortho- dontics notes “The contribution of orthodontic treatment should not be underestimated where a conspicuous dentofacial deviation has attracted the hurtful mockery of peers.”