More Than 100 Lansing and Wayne Preschool Educators Receive Brush! Training Thanks to Delta Dental Foundation
Okemos, Mich. (PRWEB) August 26, 2014 -- More than 100 preschool teachers from the Capital Area Community Service (CACS) and Wayne County Head Start programs received training Monday on the Brush! preschool oral health education program thanks to funding from the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF). As a result of $100,000 in grant funds provided by the DDF, the Brush! program will be taught in preschool programs for the first time in Michigan in 2014.
Brush! is a comprehensive, literary-based program that focuses on preventing tooth decay in preschool children. The program is designed to educate children under the age of five and their parents about the importance of good oral health and its connection to school success. By bringing much needed educational and developmental experiences into the home and classroom at an early age, Brush! looks to increase school attendance and readiness by reducing the number of children entering kindergarten with tooth decay.
“Children who suffer from tooth decay have a harder time learning and are less likely to start kindergarten ready to learn,” said Teri Battaglieri, director, Delta Dental Foundation. Brush! focuses on the prevention of tooth decay through a well-rounded education program designed to ensure that children show up for school healthy, pain free and ready to learn.”
As a result of the foundation’s funding and Monday’s training, which is the third hosted this year by Delta Dental at its Okemos headquarters, nearly 16,000 Michigan children will benefit from the Brush! curriculum this school year.
“We are honored and privileged to welcome Brush! into the counties we serve and to provide better oral health education and resources to preschool children and their families,” said Brenda Martinez, oral health coordinator, Capital Area Community Service. “We are very grateful for the Delta Dental Foundation’s funding and for making it possible to reach more children and adults across the Lansing area.”
Michigan counties that will be offered the Brush! curriculum as a result of DDF grant funding include:
• Wayne
• Monroe
• Genesee
• Ingham
• Eaton
• Clinton
• Shiawassee
• Clare
• Gladwin
“Practicing good oral health habits can’t start early enough,” said Battaglieri. “Through Brush!, we can help make a positive difference in the oral and overall health and school success of children.”
About Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina. The Foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs. For more information, visit http://www.deltadentalmi.com.
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Claire Doroh, Delta Dental of Michigan, http://www.deltadentalmi.com, +1 517-347-5307, [email protected]
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