During National Children’s Dental Health Month in February, Delta Dental of South Carolina’s popular, award-winning Land of Smiles® dental education program was on the road, taking the crusade for healthy teeth to more than 9,400 youngsters at 38 schools across the state. The cast of dynamic superhero characters made a recent stop in Mount Pleasant for a performance at Mamie Whitesides Elementary School, teaching good dental health habits to 488 students in kindergarten through third grade.
The Land of Smiles® experience follows superhero Captain Super Grin®, as he defeats his nemesis, Caz CavitySM, with help from his sidekicks Terri Tooth FairySM and ToothpickSM. Students learn the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, flossing, using mouthwash, eating healthy foods and visiting the dentist regularly. The program includes an oral health curriculum that adheres to National Health Education Standards, as well as standards for South Carolina. It contains engaging, age-appropriate materials to make learning about dental health entertaining for kids and includes activity sheets, which are also available in Spanish. Delta Dental of South Carolina also offers free “smile bags” to schools for students who participate in the program. Each bag includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss to help students practice the good oral health habits they learn. A newly created short video, which recaps important oral health tips the program teaches children in schools, is now available for caregivers and can be found at www.landofsmilesprogram.org by selecting “South Carolina” and then “parent/caregiver video” from the top toolbar.
“Our lively Land of Smiles show makes learning about dental health truly fun for kids, but most importantly, it’s memorable,” said Stacy Harris, supervisor of community outreach at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “Pre- and post-show testing demonstrates that, on average, students show a nearly 30 percent increase in their good oral health behavior and knowledge after seeing a performance. That’s the positive outcome we all want.”
Since its inception in the fall of 2014, the Delta Dental of South Carolina’s Land of Smiles® program has taught more than 325,000 kids how to take care of their growing smiles through more than 1,200 onsite and virtual performances at schools in 45 South Carolina counties. At least 30% of schools receiving the program have more than 80 percent of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. The Land of Smiles® experience is provided free of charge to schools, courtesy of Delta Dental of South Carolina.
Local teachers, school nurses and principals are invited to email Schools@NationalTheatre.com to request an in-person, live show for this school year, or visit www.landofsmilesprogram.org.
