“This picture was taken seconds after the loss of a baby tooth, one of the lower central incisors, now being replaced by a permanent tooth. It’s a good reminder that dental health is an important aspect of a child’s general health. One in four five-year-old children have tooth decay that affects, on average, three to four teeth. The majority of tooth decay goes untreated and impacts the overall well-being of both child and family.”

Robert Bern

About the artist: 

Robert Bern is an artist and healthcare IT professional living in New Mexico. His artwork tells the story of illness and death in our culture by sharing the sometimes tender, tragic and complicated stories of those who have had experience with illness and dying. 

About the artwork:

“This artwork is a portrait of my mother who died in 2012. It is 4 ft x 4 ft and is made from my handwritten text of a poem she loved. The work and its mode of creation is an exploration of my mother’s and my own relationship to death, as well as of our relationship to each other.“

Visuals editor:

Sara Kohrt