Health & Wellness Education

Unfortunately, we were not able to offer our free dental screens to the students of USD 416 this year due to the closures of schools across Kansas. Here is a brief overview that students and families can review to "brush up" on their knowledge of dental health and hygiene. If your child is in need of dental hygiene items, such as a toothbrush or toothpaste or other hygiene items, please contact Nurse Candice at prothec@usd416.org. We can help bridge the gap!

LMS students have a powerpoint via Google Classroom!

• Dental Health should be a life long habit that you have developed.

• Taking care of your mouth, teeth, and gums will reward you not only with a beautiful smile, but also ward off bad breath, dental caries, and gingivitis (inflammation of your gums and a type of periodontal disease)

• Without a healthy mouth, you are more at risk for developing heart disease, stroke or poorly

controlled diabetes.

If you suspect you may have a cavity, see a Dentist right away. When your tooth gets to stages 3 and 4 it is more painful and you may loose your tooth completely or have a serious infection or abscess requiring surgery.

Brush atleast twice a day for two minutes. Brush all sides of your teeth and don't forget your tongue!
Floss Daily
Drink water instead of sugary drinks
See the Dentist
Don’t smoke

What is plaque?
“ The food and liquids you eat and drink combine with bacteria to produce a sticky film called plaque. Plaque attaches on and in between teeth, where it starts to eat away at the tooth enamel.”

How does Fluoride protect your teeth from decay?
“Topical fluorides (meaning fluoride put right on the teeth) strengthen teeth in the mouth. As fluoride washes over the tooth surface, it is added into the outer surface of the tooth, making it stronger which protects teeth from cavities.”

More Helpful Q & A can be found at this source:

https://www.cda.org/Portals/0/pdfs/dentalhealthguide.pdf

Additional Information can be found at this source:

https://cavityfreekids.org/activities/basics-of-oral-health-2-water-for-thirst/