Delta Dental of Missouri's Land of Smiles® Show Teaches Oak Ridge Elementary Students Good Habits for Healthy Teeth

Delta Dental of Missouri’s popular, award-winning Land of Smiles® dental education program is on the road, taking the crusade for healthy teeth to more than 18,400 youngsters at 77 schools across the state. The cast of dynamic superhero characters made their most recent stop in Oak Ridge for a performance at Oak Ridge Elementary School, teaching good dental health habits to 91 students in kindergarten through third grade.

The Land of Smiles® experience follows superhero Captain Super Grin® as he defeats his nemesis, Caz Cavity, with help from his sidekicks Terri Tooth Fairy and Toothpick. 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 Missouri. 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 Missouri 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. A newly created short video, which recaps important oral health tips the program teaches children in schools, is now available for caregivers and can be found at https://www.landofsmilesmo.org/parent-caregiver-information.

“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 Missouri. “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 2002, the Delta Dental of Missouri’s Land of Smiles® program has taught more than 1.2 million kids how to take care of their growing smiles through more than 6,000 onsite and virtual performances at schools in 113 Missouri counties. At least 25% 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 Missouri.

Local teachers, school nurses and principals are invited to visit www.LandofSmilesMO.org to request the in-person program or the online program on a date and time that works for their students.