BRUNSWICK — For the 26th year, members of the Merrymeeting Dental Society will honor Children’s Dental Health Month by providing free oral health screenings for first-graders. Local dentists are volunteering at nine elementary schools from Brunswick to Lisbon.
“The goal of the annual outreach program is twofold,” a release from the society states. “First, to screen firstgraders for tooth decay and other oral health problems and second, to teach first graders how to take care of their teeth to avoid long-term tooth decay.”
“We know that teaching children good dental habits is the foundation for healthy teeth for life,” Dr. Kathleen Winn, a member of the Children’s Dental Health Committee and chairwoman of the Merrymeeting Dental Society, said in the release.
The first grade screenings include a dental report for each child that is sent home to parents.
Our members find this volunteer program very satisfying,” Winn said in the release. “ We know we are helping these children avoid a painful future and hopefully, get them on a positive dental health track.”
The screenings include a demonstration on how to brush teeth properly.
Dentists of the Merrymeeting Dental Society also volunteer at the Oasis Dental Clinic, which offers free dental care.
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