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Brushing Up
If there is anything better than a child’s smile, it’s a brighter one. The youngest students in the Windsor Central School District are learning the healthy habits they need to have to take care of their teeth.

Staff from Progressive Dental in Kirkwood are visiting Weeks, Bell and Palmer Elementary Schools to teach these habits. The dental office made its first stop at Weeks on Monday, visiting the Head Start class, as well as Pre-k and kindergarten classes.
 
A woman sitting in front of a classroom of pre-k students 

“We have a ‘Brushing your Teeth’ song. We read a book, Going to the Dentist, and I use a stuffed dragon to demonstrate brushing and flossing,” said Patient Care Coordinator for Progressive Dental, Kendra Tompkins. 

Tompkins taught students about good foods and bad foods for teeth. She also helped calm the fears some children had about dentists.

“One child said, ‘I don’t want to go to the dentist.’ I said, ‘You don’t want to see me?’ He said, ‘Oh, I’ll see you,’” said Tompkins. 

Tompkins brought bags for each student. Each bag contained a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. 

“That’s great because now the children can go home and practice the healthy habits they learned today,” said pre-k teacher Jennifer Bennett. “February is Dental Health Month and we celebrate it in class. This is another voice reinforcing what we are talking about, and it’s wonderful for the students. She also goes into more detail.”

A staff member from Progressive Dental is scheduled to stop at Palmer Elementary on Friday, February 22, and Bell Elementary Monday, February 25.