With more than half of the state’s third-graders having experienced tooth decay, a new program launched this week – National Health Education Week – is designed to help improve dental habits at an early age.
The Tooth Fairy visited the Kent Valley Early Learning Center, 317 Fourth Ave. S., on Wednesday.
The presentation, designed for children ages 10 and under, included a reading of the book, “The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist,” as well as fun dental facts and educational activities, including a look at which candies are best (and worst) for young teeth just in time for Halloween. Attendees received a new toothbrush and a copy of the book.
The new year-round statewide program, presented free by Delta Dental of Washington, called The Tooth Fairy Experience, makes pediatric dental health education interactive, and even fun for kids 10 and under. The educational effort is intended to help reduce the incidence of tooth decay among children and increase the number of kids who regularly visit the dentist – among Apple Health subscribers in King and Pierce counties that number is only 52.8 and 51.2 percent respectively.
“We absolutely loved having the Tooth Fairy come to our school,” said Chanel Priel, a kindergarten teacher at the Kent Valley Early Learning Center. “Many of our students have never been to the dentist or have had the opportunity to talk about dental hygiene we so appreciated the goodies and great time. Thank you for an engaging and exciting experience for every child.”
“Thank you so much for coming to (the center) and giving such a fun presentation on dental health,” said Lori Armitage, a teacher at the center. “We have several children who have not been to a dentist and were so excited to learn about it. The Tooth Fairy was a definite hit.”
The program features a K-2 classroom component for educators, available for free download at the program website, TheToothFairyExperience.com.
Classroom educational materials include a 12-minute video featuring the Tooth Fairy focused on caring for your smile, educator lesson plans and student worksheets. Over the next couple years additional videos and classroom materials will be developed to focus on the role of nutrition in good oral health, as well as the importance of physical activity – including the use of mouthguards in sports – in caring for your kids’ oral and overall health. All materials have been dentist, teacher, school nurse and child-reviewed.
According to Delta Dental’s 2016 National Children’s Oral Health Survey, 30 percent of U.S. parents reported that their children (between the ages of 6 and 12) missed school in the previous year due to an oral health problem (as opposed to a regularly scheduled dental appointment).
“Children who experience tooth decay are more likely to miss school, have lower academic success, and have an increased risk for lifelong dental problems,” said Dr. Abbie Goudarzi, a licensed dentist and a Delta Dental of Washington dental consultant. “And over time poor oral health can increase systemic inflammation, which may limit growth and development, as well as increase the risk of adverse health outcomes including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.”
The Tooth Fairy Experience website also provides helpful resources for parents and caregivers, with a dental tips blog, child dental health activity sheets for home use, a quarterly newsletter Grin & Grow, Tooth Fairy letters for children, and links to Delta Dental of Washington resources such help in finding a dentist. In addition, parents can follow the Tooth Fairy on her own Facebook and Instagram channels (@ToothFairyWA) for helpful tips and to learn where the Tooth Fairy will be visiting next.
For more information, visit deltadentalwa.com.
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