MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Sailors assigned to Cherry Point’s Naval Health Clinic visited students at Graham A. Barden Elementary School in Havelock, N.C., Feb. 12, to promote healthy smiles and good oral hygiene.
The American Dental Association and the American Dental Association Foundation designate February as National Children’s Dental Health Month to allow educators, healthcare and dental professionals to promote the benefits of good oral hygiene and health.
According to Lt. Michelle Romeo, a dentist with NHCCP’s 12th Dental Company, the campaign is a way that naval dentists can introduce themselves to the local community and get school children excited while learning about good oral hygiene.
“It’s a really cool experience to get to come to the schools and give back to the students by teaching them about their oral health, which is something that they might not have had the opportunity to learn about had it not been for Children’s Dental Health Month,” said Romeo.
During the presentation, students learned about proper habits for brushing, flossing and rinsing, and were given some healthy snack ideas to tie-in with the theme of this year’s Children’s Dental Health Month, “Defeat Monster Mouth.”
“We used activities and posters, as well as models of the mouth, to teach the children about proper brushing techniques, healthy and unhealthy foods and how long and how often to brush,” said Romeo.
According to Meredith Rocha, a first-grade teacher at Graham A. Barden, the students were excited to learn about practicing good oral hygiene during the visit, especially with a large population of military children in the school.
“At such a young age, the students are very impressionable, so it is important that we promote good hygiene now so it will stick with them,” said Rocha. “We are always looking for ways to keep the students attention and keep them engaged. This is an event we will be looking forward to again in the future.”