The National Wellness Institute, an organization that provides health promotion and wellness professionals resources and services, declares October as Children’s Health Month. The Watch Your Mouth campaign wants to take this opportunity to celebrate Children’s health month by highlighting the importance of children’s oral health.
Dental decay, the most common chronic childhood disease, is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth. It is five times more common than asthma and affects children across the nation. When children experience pain from oral health problems, their ability to eat, think and learn is affected. Nationally, children miss 51 million school hours due to oral health problem. This makes it difficult for them to keep up with their peers in school. Moreover, dental disease, if left untreated, can lead to life-long health problems, from heart disease to diabetes to pre-term birth. The good news is that the majority of dental decay is preventable when children have access to protective measures such as regular dental screenings, and fluoride treatments.
Through Watch Your Mouth, a public awareness campaign emphasizing the importance of children’s oral health, Massachusetts communities work together to prevent dental decay. Here are two ways you can speak up for children’s oral health this month:
• Attend our spokesperson training on October 30th in Springfield, MA. This workshop will provide participants the skills to develop effective messages to become a spokesperson in support of children’s oral health. Click here to learn more about this workshop.
• Promote the importance of oral health by educating the media, your community and lawmakers about this issue. Click here for five things you can do to speak up for children’s oral health:
So, let’s watch our mouths, and use them to ensure that the widespread problem of childhood dental disease is a thing of the past! By working together, we can ensure that kids have access to preventive treatments such as early childhood screenings and dental sealants. Visit our website at www.WatchYourMouth.org to get involved.
Czarina Biton
