WES students get a lesson in how to keep their smiles healthy!

Representatives from the Seal a Smile program visited WES on Tuesday, March 11, to talk to students about how to keep their teeth healthy. Educators talked about the dangers of sugary snacks and the need to brush and floss, topics that are important for children to learn as they begin to lose their baby teeth. "Our grown-up teeth have to last us forever so lets make sure we start taking care of them right from the beginning," said one educator.

The Seal a Smile program provides education and preventive care to pre-school and elementary school children throughout the Capital District. Seal a Smile provides its services within schools, thereby eliminating the problem of access that can be an issue for families that live in cities. The program will be coming back to the school in April to offer dental examinations for the students. Each participating student will receive a thorough check-up and cleaning, as well as a fluoride treatment. Students will then receive goody bags with a new toothbrush, some toothpaste and a timer to help them ensure that they are brushing long enough. "It's not enough to just swish the brush around once or twice and be done," said one educator. "You really have to scrub, scrub SCRUB!!"

Last year, the Seal a Smile program treated more than 3,000 children in the Capital District—this is in addition to the more than 12,700 children who received oral health education from the program.

A Seal a Smile dental educator helps students vote "thumbs-down!" for a sugary snack like jelly beans that are bad for kids' teeth!	A Seal a Smile dental educator helps students vote "thumbs-up!" for healthy snacks like apples and sugar-free gum!