National Children ’ s Dental Health Month Sparkles Statewide
By Amber Wickard , Communications Coordinator
Through two major snowstorms that made February the snowiest on record , two rambunctious twins made their way into classrooms and dental offices across Pennsylvania . The McGrinn Twins , Flossy and Buck , known for their sparkling smiles and active lifestyle , are the newest creation of the ADA to promote National Children ’ s Dental Health Month ( NCDHM ). Buck , who loves adventures and sports , and his sister Flossy , who loves math and science , are different in many ways but they agree on one thing : the importance of good oral health . Together , they work as a team urging kids to get healthy , get active and maintain a bright smile .
Flossy and Buck made their way into more than 3,000 schools by way of PDA-distributed lesson plan kits . The kits included a lesson plan , complete with new instructions for engaging students in hands-on science experiments , and interactive games . Activity sheets , featuring word searches and Sudoku puzzles , were included in the kit along with a classroom poster .
Third-Grade Poster Contest
Also included in the lesson plan kit were instructions for entering the PDA-sponsored , third-grade poster contest . PDA annually awards $ 1,750 in educational savings bonds to the students who design the top three posters . The winning poster is reproduced on bookmarks and distributed to public libraries across the state . PDA district chairs sent more than 60 posters to the Central Office for judging . Kelly Young , a third-grader at Wycallis Elementary School in Dallas , won first place in this year ’ s poster contest . Her winning poster , “ Clean Teeth are Out of this World ,” depicts a tooth flying over the world on a rocket-propelled toothbrush . Kelly will receive a $ 1,000 educational savings bond . Dr . Samantha Abod will present the bond , her framed poster and bookmarks at a school assembly on June 4 .
“ Protect Your Smile ” is the theme of secondplace winner Brandon Cromer ’ s poster . Brandon , a third-grader at Solomon Elementary in Plains , painted three teeth holding umbrellas in a downpour of candy . Brandon will receive a $ 500 savings bond . Third-place winner , Claire Valentine of Mars Elementary School in Mars , went with an Olympic theme for her poster . With the slogan “ Brush Like a Champion ,” Claire drew toothpaste , a toothbrush and floss on a podium winning , gold , silver and bronze medals . Claire will receive a $ 250 educational savings bond .
May / June 2010 • Pennsylvania Dental Journal
17