Smiles@School

What is the program?

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation funds the Smiles@School program, which aims to bring attention and education around the importance of strong oral health habits at a young age. The program distributes oral health supplies and education at no cost to first-grade classrooms. Backpacks are filled with a toothbrush, kids toothpaste, floss, a water bottle, 2-minute brushing timer and an educational booklet. There are additional resources available for classrooms such as videos, translated booklets and activity sheets.

Who is the program for?

The program is open to all first-graders in Minnesota. Why first-graders? They are at a pivotal age in developing habits and can begin to understand how to care for their oral and overall health.

When does the program take place?

Registration typically occurs in the fall. Backpacks filled with oral health supplies are distributed each year in February throughout Children's Dental Health Month.

Where does this program reach?

Any first-grade classroom in the state of Minnesota is eligible!

Why?

You might be wondering why oral health is needed in your classroom. The answer is that it impacts your students and their ability to learn! Tooth decay is the most prevalent childhood disease - it is 5x more prevalent than asthma and 7x more common than allergies! By age 8, over half of children have at least one cavity. Children with poor oral health are 3x more likely to miss school. Dental related issues, like cavities, lead to more than 51 million lost school hours each year.