February is National Children’s Dental Health month, and the 2019 motto is “Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile.”   Proper daily tooth brushing – two times a day for two minutes each time, limiting sweet sugary snacks – especially soft/sports drinks, and visiting a dentist on regular basis are key factors in keeping smiles healthy.

Reports show that American students miss 51 million hours of school every year because of oral health problems. And students who are absent miss critical instruction time—especially in early grades where reading skills are an important focus and the building blocks of future learning. And students who have experienced recent oral health pain are four times more likely to have lower grade point averages than their counterparts who have not.

At The Calais School, our Health Office has distributed fun and educational worksheets to all the homerooms to remind students about carrying for their dental health. If you are looking for more information regarding the importance of Children’s Dental Health, including fun family activities please visit the American Dental Association website.