Did you know tooth decay is the most common childhood disease? Five times more common than asthma, 60 percent of children have experience with cavities before the age of five. Annually, 51 million school hours are missed due to oral disease. Children struggling with oral pain are unable to focus in school, which affects their ability to learn and succeed. Not only do teeth help a child talk and chew, but a healthy smile plays an important role in developing positive self-esteem and lifelong health. As a result, many children are at a disadvantage when interacting with peers.

Lincoln County Dental, a local nonprofit dental clinic run by volunteer dental providers, understands the importance of oral health and will be addressing the issue in a coalition meeting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. Building on our children’s outreach program that launched at Boothbay Region schools this past year, we will discuss how to further provide preventive care to children in Lincoln County and particularly at the Boothbay Region School Health Center.

If you are interested in joining us, contact Camden at office@lcdental.org or 207-563-8668.