TAKING steps to care for your teeth and gums is important to maintain good oral health and keep your teeth for life.
This week is Dental Health Week, with the theme this year ‘Mind, body, mouth – it’s all connected’.
Swan Hill is promoting this message from a young age.
Health promotion department and dental services are working together to deliver the Smiles 4 Miles programs in early learning centres.
Smiles 4 Miles is a Dental Health Services Victoria-funded program which SHDH delivers.
This program promotes the importance of looking after your teeth and gums from an early age for both children and their families.
In Term 3, dental services and the Smiles 4 Miles co-ordinator will be visiting early learning centres and completing dental screenings.
The dental screening will be partnered with reading a book about going to the dentist and a brush puppet, to help teach children how to brush their teeth.
Dental screenings involves a dental therapist looking at a child’s mouth and screening the health of the teeth and gums.
By providing screenings in early learning centres, it creates a positive experience with dental services and a peer environment which influences children to participate.
Dental Health Services Victoria recommend that children should get their first dental check-up before the age of two to build familiarity with the setting and process.
By having regular check-ups from an early age, it helps form the habit of going to the dentist which increases the likelihood of this behaviour continuing into adulthood.
Swan Hill District Health dental services for children include:
- All children under 13 are free
- Under 18 with a concession card are free
- Under 18 with no concession are private, unless eligible for the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS).
Contact dental services on 5033 9336 to book an appointment.
