Delta Dental kicks off spring ‘Land of Smiles’ tour in the Chicago area
CHICAGO, Ill. (Jan. 26, 2024) - Tooth decay remains the leading chronic disease affecting our children, and the statistics in Illinois are particularly alarming.
Research shows that 22% of Illinois third graders have untreated cavities, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health Healthy Smiles Healthy Growth Survey, 2018-19.
The Land of Smiles program is part of Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s steadfast effort to address and curb tooth decay in children. In the first half of 2024, the Land of Smiles program is visiting 55 schools in the Chicago area:
SCHOOLPERFORMANCE DATECITY
- Jan. 22: Casals School of Exellence, Chicago
- Jan. 23: Helge A Haugan Elementary School, Chicago
- Jan. 23: Alexander Hamilton Elementary School, Chicago
- Jan. 24: Sauganash Elementary School, Chicago
- Jan. 25: Evergreen Elementary School, Carol Stream
- Jan. 25: Western Avenue Elementary School, Geneva
- Jan. 26: Ira Rupley Elementary School, Elk Grove Village
- Jan. 26: North Elementary School, Waukegan
- Jan. 30: Malta Elementary School, Matla
- Feb. 5: Northwest Elementary School, La Salle
- Feb. 6: Prairie Point Elementary School, Oswego
- Feb. 7: Lincoln Elementary School, Cicero
- Feb. 7: Lynn G. Haskin Elementary School, Sandwich
- Feb. 8: Washington Elementary School, Riverdale
- Feb. 8: Ernest Kolb Elementary School, Oak Lawn
- Feb. 9: Concord Elementary School, Darien
- Feb. 12: Lincoln Elementary School, Dolton
- Feb. 13: Vanderpoel Magnet School, Chicago
- Feb. 13: W. W. Woodbury Elementary School, Sandwich
- Feb. 14: Roosevelt Elementary School, Dolton
- Feb. 14: Nathan Hale Primary School, Crestwood
- Feb. 15: Columbia Explorers Academy, Chicago
- Feb. 15: Chicago International Charter School - Prairie Campus, Chicago
- Feb. 16: Park Elementary School, Riverdale
- Feb. 16: George W Lieb Elementary School, Bridgeview
- March 13: Arthur A Libby Elementary School, Chicago
- March 13: John L Marsh Elementary School, Chicago
- March 14: New Sullivan Elementary School, Chicago
- March 14: Douglas Taylor Elementary School, Chicago
- March 15: Kingston Elementary School, Kingston
- March 18: Marvin Camras Elementary School, Chicago
- March 18: Affirm Leadership Christian Academy, Waukegan
- March 19: Churchill Elementary School, Glen Ellyn
- March 19: Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Glen Ellyn
- March 20: Henry D Lloyd Elementary School, Chicago
- March 20: Forest Glen Elementary School, Glen Ellyn
- March 21: Edison Park Elementary School, Chicago
- March 21: Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Glen Ellyn
- March 22: LEARN John and Kathy Schreiber Campus, Waukegan
- April 5: George Washington Elementary School, Park Ridge
- April 10: Kaneland McDole Elementary School, Montgomery
- April 12: Westchester Primary School, Westchester
- April 16: William P Nixon Elementary School, Chicago
- April 18: Sheridan Math and Science Academy, Chicago
- April 19: Roswell B Mason Elementary School, Chicago
- April 24: Grissom Elementary School, Chicago
- April 24: John Foster Dulles Elementary School, Chicago
- April 29: Ferdinand Peck Elementary School, Chicago
- April 29: Kingsley Elementary School, Naperville
- April 30: Harnew Elementary School, Oak Lawn
- April 30: Fuller Elementary School of Excellence, Chicago
- May 1: Troy-Shorewood Elementary School, Shorewood
- May 2: Kimberly Heights School, Tinley Park
- May 7: John S Clark Elementary School, Waukegan
This free, dynamic educational program aims to empower pre-kindergarten through third grade children with essential oral health habits. The program is designed not just to educate, but also to entertain. Characters like Captain Super Grin, Terri Tooth Fairy, Toothpick, and their playful nemesis, Caz Cavity, captivate young audiences while delivering important messages about oral hygiene, nutrition, and regular dental check-ups.
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation’s Land of Smiles program tours twice a year, partnering with various Illinois elementary schools along the way. The program has reached 573,352 students at 1,034 Illinois elementary schools over the past 14 years. In the first half of the year, it is reaching over 25,000 pre-kindergarten through third-grade students in more than 100 Illinois schools. Every student at a Land of Smiles performance receives a kit with a free toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss, along with bilingual oral health tips outlining how students should care for their teeth.
Learn more about the Foundation and its Land of Smiles program at www.landofsmilesil.org.
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About Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation
The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation was formed in March 2008 by Delta Dental of Illinois, a not-for-profit dental service corporation with a mission to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Delta Dental of Illinois and works to support and improve the oral health of people in Illinois. In the past decade, combined efforts of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation have provided more than $30 million to programs and organizations in Illinois that improve the oral health of the residents of Illinois.