Swansea, SC 10/09/2023 Delta Dental of South Carolina’s popular Land of Smiles® dental education program is on the road this fall, taking the crusade for healthy teeth to 10,000 youngsters at nearly 40 schools across the state in the coming weeks. The cast of dynamic superhero characters made their most recent stop in Swansea for a performance at Early Childhood Center, teaching good dental health habits to 200 students in kindergarten through third grade.
The Land of Smiles® experience follows superhero Captain Super GrinSM, as he defeats his nemesis, Caz CavitySM, with help from his sidekicks Terri Tooth FairySM and ToothpickSM. Students learn the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, flossing, using mouthwash, eating healthy foods and visiting the dentist regularly. The program includes an oral health curriculum that adheres to National Health Education Standards, as well as standards for South Carolina. It contains engaging, age-appropriate materials to make learning about dental health entertaining for kids and includes activity sheets, which are also available in Spanish. Delta Dental of South Carolina also offers free “smile bags” to schools for students who participate in the program. Each bag includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss to help students practice the good oral health habits they learn. Newly created short videos, which recap important oral health tips that the program teaches children in schools, are now available for caregivers and can be found at www.landofsmilesprogram.org by selecting “South Carolina” and then “parent/caregiver video” from the top toolbar.
“Our lively Land of Smiles show makes learning about dental health truly fun for kids, but most importantly, it’s memorable,” said Stacy Harris, supervisor of community outreach at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “Pre- and post-show testing demonstrates that, on average, students show a nearly 30% increase in their good oral health behavior and knowledge after seeing a performance. That’s the positive outcome we all want.”
Since its inception in the fall of 2014, the Delta Dental of South Carolina’s Land of Smiles® program has taught more than 306,000 kids how to take care of their growing smiles through more than 1,100 onsite performances at schools in 45 South Carolina counties, and through its online version. At least 30% of schools receiving the program have more than 80% of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. The Land of Smiles® experience is provided free of charge to schools, courtesy of Delta Dental of South Carolina.
Local teachers, school nurses and principals are invited to email Schools@NationalTheatre.com to request an in-person, live show for this school year, or visit www.landofsmilesprogram.org to gain access to the online program on a date and time that works for their students.
