MADISON TOWNSHIP — Did you know that when brushing your teeth, all you need is a pea-sized amount of toothpaste?
“You don’t need a lot,” Laura Longwell, dental hygienist with Third Street Family Health Services told a group of Madison South Elementary School students.
Longwell walked students through proper brushing techniques and dental care during a health fair at the school on Friday.
The health fair, organized by Third Street Family Health Services in collaboration with the school, stemmed from the American Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile” program.
“This year we chose to do an educational event and expand it into a health fair to try to involve the community,” Longwell said.
So in addition to learning about dental hygiene, students were taught proper hand-washing techniques by Third Street medical staff, healthy eating by OhioHealth’s nutritionist Marlys Slone, and physical fitness by school physical education staff.
“We’re really excited,” Longwell said. “This is a really fun event.”
Nikki Cox, physical education teacher, said the school is preparing to participate in the American Heart Association’s Hoops for Heart program, and that the health fair ties nicely into their coursework.
“We’ve been talking about that in class and now they’re going to get the perspective on it from other areas,” she said.
In recognition of National Children’s Dental Health Month, students designed posters. Those with the most creative designs received a prize at the health fair. The posters will be on display during the month of February at one of Third Street’s locations.
