Local students learn about importance of dental health
Sporting a sparkly silver and green robe and wielding a giant toothbrush as his wand, Tooth Wizard helped students defeat the evil PlaqueMan at Rondout School in Lake Forest and Carman-Buckner Elementary School in Waukegan on Nov. 4.
The wizard hero led the students on a journey into the "Land of Smiles," the Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation program that teaches prekindergarten through third-grade children how to win the battle against tooth decay.
According to a 2015 Delta Dental of Illinois Children's Oral Health Survey, nearly one in four Illinois children ages 6-12 missed school due to a dental problem.
The "Land of Smiles" program encourages students to laugh and cheer along as they learn the habits needed to maintain their healthy smiles. Children are able to take part during the interactive performance, demonstrating how to correctly brush, floss and rinse with fluoride, causing PlaqueMan to scurry off the stage in defeat.
"'Land of Smiles' furthers our mission to improve the oral health of Illinois children," said Lora Vitek, director of philanthropy and community relations for Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation.
"It's all about prevention, and education is vital to prevention. The engaging and interactive way of learning that 'Land of Smile' promotes goes a long way in not only making kids aware of how to care for their teeth, but also gets them excited about making changes to their daily routine to help ensure a lifetime of good oral health."
The free program not only emphasizes good oral hygiene techniques, but also teaches children the importance of eating tooth-friendly foods and regularly visiting the dentist. The program aims to make a positive difference in preventing tooth decay in children and encourage enthusiasm for healthy habits.
"We quiz students on their oral health knowledge before and after the program, and we've learned from the results that 'Land of Smiles' has a measurable influence on the importance they place on oral health," said Vitek.
"When students chant 'brush, brush, brush' to help Tooth Wizard defeat PlaqueMan at the turning point of the program, it's clear that we've made learning about oral health fun and memorable."
Tooth Wizard offers advice to help parents encourage good oral health habits for their children, too:
• Children should brush their teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time.
• Once any two teeth are touching, children should floss their teeth once a day.
• Children should visit the dentist regularly, at least twice per year.
• Parents should discuss placing sealants on their child's teeth with their dentist. Typically, sealants are placed on six-year and 12-year molars. A sealant is a thin invisible plastic coating that is applied to the molars to help protect them from tooth decay.
The children who participated in the program received an oral health kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and a booklet packed with oral health tips. The schools also received curriculum kits to help educators reinforce good oral health habits with their students throughout the year.
The "Land of Smiles" program expects to reach nearly 13,000 students at 69 Illinois schools this fall. In the past eight years, the program has educated more than 280,000 students at more than 850 Illinois schools.
For more information, visit landofsmilesil.org or contact Lora Vitek at (630) 178-4764 or lvitek@deltadentalil.com.