Northwest Community Health Center promoting dental health

February is National Children’s Dental Awareness Month, and is a nationally recognized as great opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of good oral healthcare. Developing good habits at a young age, along with regular dental visits will help children in having a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. 

Many children in the Lincoln County area are affected by tooth decay and gingivitis; however, many of those children affected don’t understand that both of these dental diseases are preventable. Northwest Community Health Center (NWCHC) has participated in the National “Give Kids a Smile” Day sponsored by Crest for 14 years to promote dental awareness among our local children, and in honor of this campaign NWCHC’s Jennifer Davis, RDH spent her time on Feb. 12 at Libby Elementary School educating students about brushing and flossing habits, good nutrition and the overall process of how to prevent current or future dental disease. 

This year’s “Give Kids a Smile” Day was a huge success, and many of our local children are now armed with “Lessons in a Lunchbox”, which included proper education of how to take care of their oral health. Each Lunchbox included a carrot case with a rinse cup top, along with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. 

The Northwest Community Health Center strives to ensure that local children are equipped with everything they need for proper oral health, and show them how to use it properly. In addition to Crest’s “Give Kids a Smile” Day,” NWCHC receives a grant from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to provide free dental screenings at schools annually. NWCHC’s dentists and support staff screen children at Head Start, Libby Public School students Kindergarten through eighth grade, and Troy students Kindergarten through 6th grade. Parents are then notified if there is any noticeable tooth decay. NWCHC can provide most of the necessary treatment needs for these children on a sliding fee scale, and if additional treatment is necessary there are foundation moneys available that can help offset the costs associated with tooth decay in young children.