“How many of you have ever experienced a tooth ache or some mouth pain?” Dr. Leana Wen asked to a room full of smiling five to eleven year olds at Northwest Baltimore’s Arlington Elementary/Middle School. The vast majority of the students responded by raising their hands. “When it’s really painful, it makes it difficult to focus in the classroom or do our work, right?” and hundreds of heads bobbed up and down in agreement.

On Monday, Dr. Wen joined Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore City Comptroller Joan Pratt, Arlington Middle and Elementary School Principal Emily Hunter, representatives from Colgate Dr. Marsha Butler and Dawna Fields, and Ravens Wide Receiver Steve Smith Sr. to celebrate Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Future 25^th anniversary. Baltimore City Public Schools partners with Colgate to ensure that hundreds of students have access to oral cancer and cavity screenings provided on a mobile van. The program also teaches children the importance of dental hygiene.

Mayor Rawlings-Blake shared that more than 51 million hours of school are missed by children each year due to dental-related issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 children have at least one untreated decayed tooth. These rates are much higher for children from low-income families. The CDC recommends that parents and caregivers help children protect their teeth by brushing properly for two minutes twice daily using a fluoride toothpaste.

Dr. Wen explained that health includes taking care of our mouths and our minds so that small pains do not become big problems. She also thanked Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Future’s program for providing such crucial assistance to Baltimore City residents for the past 1.5 years.

The Baltimore City Health Department is committed to ensuring that our residents have access to services and get the information they need to keep their mouths healthy. We provide dental care, including cleanings, fillings, and extractions, at our clinics to applicable children and adults. You can learn more about BCHD’s oral health services on our website.