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Are you looking for materials to engage your students in oral
health education?
Check out the Kid’s Club section on our website at www.deltadentalnj.com/kids_club for different learning tools. Some educational activities on our website include dental trivia, coloring pages, and an interactive web game called ‘Dental Defenders.’ There’s also a section called, ‘Ask Captain
Supertooth’ - this section has various Q and A’s with our oral health superhero about baby teeth, taking care of teeth, and going to the dentist.
If there is a specific dental health educational tool or other materials that would be helpful to you in the classroom, email
kelmore@deltadentalnj.com and let us know. Perhaps we can provide other tools in the future.
Studies have shown that good nutrition promotes both health and learning. Oral health also has an impact on learning.
According to the American Dental Association, tooth decay is increasingly a disease of children from low- and modest-income households. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that among children suffering from tooth decay, almost 50 percent remain untreated, with the disease resulting in pain, dysfunction, being underweight or having poor appearance - all problems that can greatly reduce a child's capacity to succeed in the education environment. In addition, the Surgeon General's landmark study of oral health in America revealed that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness alone.1
Through proper oral hygiene and nutrition, childhood tooth decay can be prevented. Good oral health leads to good overall health, which leads to the improved capacity to learn.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed simple guidelines for healthier
eating
- Eat whole grains daily instead of refined grains. Whole grains include brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread. Refined grains include white bread and white rice.
- Eat healthier vegetables, including dark green and orange vegetables.
- Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, fruits, and vegetables.
- Choose fish, beans, nuts, and seeds for some of your protein needs.
- Choose beverages and foods that will moderate your intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Call to Action to Promote Oral
Health. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. NIH Publication No. 03-5303, Spring 2003.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/oralhealth/nationalcalltoaction.html
If not, consider applying for the Oral Health Education Initiative grant from the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, Inc. As you know all too well, school districts sometimes face budget cuts, and this grant allows for alternative funding to provide for innovative curriculum.
New Jersey schools with a third grade located in areas formerly known as Abbott School Districts (including Charter Schools in these districts) are eligible to receive this grant. This grant awards up to $5,000 per school.
2010 was the fourth year the Foundation has awarded grants to help fund school programs that teach young students the importance of oral health, the value of daily oral hygiene, as well as introduce them to the dental profession.
2010-2011 recipients are: Alexander Hamilton Academy in Paterson, Calabro/Connors Schools in Hoboken, and Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19 in Passaic.
Programs address the importance of daily tooth care, the relationship of good food choices to oral health, and the role dentists and hygienists play in overall health maintenance and disease prevention.
The 2011-2012 Oral Health Education Initiative grant process will begin in the spring of 2011. Keep your eyes open for information about this grant opportunity in future
Wisdom Tooth issues.
Mark your calendar for February 4, 2011 for Give Kids A Smile (GKAS). Locally sponsored by the New Jersey Dental Association since 2003, this national event has provided more than 13,000 children with nearly $2.4 million in free dental services at more than 80 locations across the state of New Jersey. This day is all about getting children, age 12 and under, much-needed dental care.
As a school nurse or teacher you’re in a great position to promote this day to the parents and guardians of your students. This day is an opportunity to obtain free dental care for children, as well as introduce the youngsters to dentistry by way of a positive, fun-filled day of learning about the importance of oral health. Local private dental offices, as well as dental clinics, participate in GKAS. Appointments are necessary in order for children to be seen.
If you’d like more information, please contact the New Jersey Dental Association GKAS Hotline at (888) 576-9278. Also be sure to visit
www.njda.org/gkas
to find a list of participating dental locations.
Why should you consider following us on Facebook? Because through our Foundation we fund various community clinics that treat the uninsured and underinsured, and we highlight several of these clinics on
Facebook.
Perhaps some of your students are in need of dental care and their parents/guardians are unsure where to take them for dental check-ups or emergency care. You could also keep up to date with the different grants we offer to schools, have Captain Supertooth teach your kindergarten through second graders about good oral hygiene, or find out more about our P.A.N.D.A. (Prevent Abuse and Neglect thru Dental Awareness) program and why your teachers, school nurses, and social workers could benefit from this program. Also, we publish articles and press releases pertaining to dental health issues, which you may find useful in your classroom.
We have a Facebook page dedicated to our community outreach efforts and a corporate Facebook page dedicated to company news.
‘Like’ us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/deltadentalnjfoundation
and www.facebook.com/deltadentalnj
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