For Immediate Release
June 6, 2006
Please Contact: Colin Durrant (617)722-1650 or
Michael Bloom, 617.722.1650

BARRIOS UNVEILS NEW TOOLS TO
BETTER TRACK MISSING CHILDREN

 Last week the nation recognized National Missing Children’s Day, Dracut Police, Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, and members of the Massachusetts dental community unveiled two new tools that they say will make it easier to track missing children. 

Senator Barrios and the dental community received $25,000 in the Senate’s 2007 budget to create a pilot program which expands toothprinting in the public school systems of Somerville, Tyngsborough, and Dracut.  Toothprints are a new and increasingly effective tool for tracking missing children through the scent of human saliva and DNA traces left on a dental imprint made of the child’s teeth.

“When a child goes missing police need every tool possible at their disposable to find the missing person quickly,” said Senator Barrios.  “Toothprints are a quick and easy way to make sure we can find a child if they get lost.”

At a State House press conference the Dracut Police Department also introduced the state’s newest scent discriminating dog, “Mason,” that can for the first time track missing children from the scent of human saliva left on dental tooth prints.

“I am delighted to see that the Senate realizes the importance of the toothprinting program and how it can save the lives of children.  The towns of Somerville, Tyngsborough and Dracut will be better off with this program,” said dental hygienist and tooth print advocate Susan Barrios.

Dental professionals recommend an initial tooth print impression when a child is three years old, or after all of the primary teeth have come in. They suggest repeating the procedure again at age seven or eight (when the permanent front teeth and molars have come in), and again at age 12 or 13, when all permanent teeth have come in.

The Senate approved its version of the budget last week.  A conference committee of House and Senate members will meet in early June to reconcile the differences between their two budgets. The final budget will then be voted on by both house and presented to the Governor for his signature sometime in June.

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