Delta Dental’s “Land Of Smiles” Characters Motivate Charleston Area Students To Adopt Healthy Oral And Overall Habits

CHARLESTON, SC –  Tooth decay is the leading chronic infectious disease among children in our nation.  It causes pain and can interfere with a child’s ability to eat, speak, smile and concentrate, and it has the potential to affect systemic health. To help combat this issue, Delta Dental of South Carolina visited 53 schools throughout South Carolina during April and May to educate and inspire children to adopt healthy life habits through its upbeat and interactive, touring “Land of Smiles” program.

The “Land of Smiles” show featured Tooth Wizard on his crusade to help kids have healthy teeth by defeating his arch enemy PlaqueMan. The show’s characters get the children excited about brushing and flossing properly and visiting the Tooth Wizard’s “best friend,” the dentist. They also discuss what foods are good and bad for teeth and overall health, eating right, exercising daily and making healthy choices.

Tooth Wizard came bearing gifts for the students at each school. Each child was sent home with a “smile bag” from Delta Dental, packed with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, an educational coloring sheet and a mirror decal reminding them to brush twice each day.  After the show, the school nurse received a Land of Smiles curriculum kit that can be used to help reinforce the good oral health messages of the show in the classroom. The kit includes a mouth model and large toothbrush, children’s books, a sing-a-long CD and a Land of Smiles DVD.

The Charleston area schools that received a visit from the Land of Smiles included:

·       Orange Grove Charter Elementary

·       Lambs Elementary

·       Dunston Elementary

·       Sullivan’s Island Elementary

·       Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary

·       Edith Frierson Elementary

·       Charleston Development Academy

·       Memminger Elementary

·       Edmund A. Burns Elementary

·       Midland Park Primary

·       Mitchell Elementary

·       Jane Edwards Elementary

“Dental disease is 100 percent preventable,” commented Spann Laffitte, vice president of sales and account management at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “Children miss more than 51 million hours of school each year due to dental-related illnesses. That affects the children, their parents and the parents’ employers.  Our ‘Land of Smiles’ characters resonate with the kids, inspiring action and motivating change that helps to positively influence oral health and overall health.”

Delta Dental

Delta Dental is the nation’s leading dental benefits company. A 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a social mission to improve oral health, Delta Dental of South Carolina is committed to providing access to quality dental care with the nation’s largest network and exceptional customer service. Four out of five dentists participate with Delta Dental nationally. Across the nation, nearly one in three families with dental benefits choose Delta Dental—56 million members from nearly 96,000 companies. Based on proven associations between good oral health and good overall health, our smart benefits plans focus on prevention, as well as comprehensive care to promote good oral health among adults and children across the state. To learn more about Delta Dental of South Carolina, visit www.deltadentalsc.com, call803-731-2495 in Columbia, or call toll-free at 800-529-3268.