During National Children’s Dental Health Month
Tooth decay is the No. 1 most common chronic childhood disease, and February being National Children’s Dental Health Month, Las Vegas Urban League WIC and its community partners do their part year round to encourage dental health of families in Southern Nevada.
This year, the WIC program joined the Nevada Oral Health Program and the American Dental Association campaign, “Water, Nature’s Drink,” to encourage youngsters to toss their sugar-sweetened drinks down the drain in favor of healthy, plain drinking water.
“We are very proud to be actively involved this year in promoting good oral health habits among our youngsters through the ‘Water, Nature’s Drink’ program,” Tim Perez, Director of WIC’s Nutrition Education Centers, said. “Sweetened beverages are really bad for young children’s tender growing teeth.
Additionally, our education counselors have extensive information and advice available on proper brushing techniques, the right oral care products from tooth pastes to brushes for youngsters’ tiny hands. Just give us a call 24/7 and let us help you.”
To promote good childhood oral health habits, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with WIC, is encouraged parents and individuals to use various social media to promote the “Water, Nature’s Drink” program in a statewide contest. Suggestions include creating a video where kids do a “Sip and Flip” challenge in which they substitute a water bottle for a soda, take a sip and then flip it over for a victorious win.
The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Program is a 501c (3) program that is funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.
For more information, visit the Urban League WIC website at: www.wiclv.org or their two convenient locations:
6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or
3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561.