DELTA DENTAL OF NEW JERSEY REMINDS
PARENTS AND TEACHERS THAT GOOD ORAL HEALTH IS
IMPORTANT TO CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC SUCCESS
PARSIPPANY, NJ (September 8, 2005) – Now
that school is back in session, there's a lesson
every parent should learn. Good oral health is
important to children's academic success. Each
year American students lose an estimated 51 million
school-hours due to dental-related illness. Dental
problems such as decay and trauma can keep children
from learning in the classroom as well as keep
them out of the classroom entirely.
"Painful, chronic dental problems can hurt
a student's ability to succeed," explains
Dr. Scott Navarro, Dental Director, Delta Dental
of New Jersey.
"Early tooth loss due to decay can impair
speech development, and students may fall behind
in schoolwork due to increased absences. When
they are in school, students experiencing dental
pain may have trouble concentrating and learning."
One way you can protect your children's oral
health is through regular dental checkups. The
American Dental Association recommends that children
and adults visit the dentist twice a year. Unfortunately,
only about half of school-age children see their
dentist that frequently, according to The
Journal of Pediatrics. One in five children
see a dentist less than once a year.
Delta Dental of New Jersey offers a number of
services to help parents and schools communicate
the importance of children's oral health. The
company's Captain Supertooth program visits public
schools throughout New Jersey and Connecticut
during Children's Dental Health Month in February.
The program features a live superhero armed with
a giant red toothbrush that he uses to educate
kids about the benefits of good oral hygiene.
An appearance from Captain Supertooth is free
and geared toward children ranging from kindergarten
to second grade.
Delta Dental's Kid's Club Web page can be found
at www.deltadentalnj.com. It is a fun and educational
tool that children can use at home or at school
to learn about the importance of their oral health,
and how to maintain it. Learning tools on the
site include flashcards, coloring pages, dental
trivia, plaque attack game and cartoons.
Also, the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation,
the company's philanthropic arm, provides financial
support for school-based programs that help underserved
children gain access to dental care and oral
health education throughout New Jersey and Connecticut.
About Delta Dental of
New Jersey, Inc.
Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s
and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier,
providing coverage to more than one million people
through contracts with employers in New Jersey
and Connecticut. The Delta Dental Plan system
offers seamless dental benefits administration
for employer groups throughout the country and
the largest network of credentialed dentists
in the nation. For more information visit us
on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.
