Most people chomp, chew, munch and crunch their way through three squares a day never realizing the damage done to their teeth. Food and beverages filled with acid and sugar can eat through enamel and rot teeth.
Preventing decay is the purpose behind Fort Polk’s U.S. Army Dental Activity’s Sugar Bowl, held Feb. 17 at South Polk Elementary School. Fourth grade students were taught how to prevent cavities by rinsing, flossing, brushing and more.
Of course, this Sugar Bowl isn’t about field goals and touchdowns. Col. Jamie Houston, commander, DENTAC, said the Sugar Bowl highlights National Children’s Dental Health Month each February by teaching kids about dental health in a fun way. He said the play on words incorporates the excitement generated by the Super Bowl and turns it into a challenge to keep as much sugar as possible out of a child’s diet.
Houston began the program by explaining the best and worst ways to achieve dental hygiene. Fourth graders watched as he picked up examples of some of the worst foods and drinks for teeth. Molds of teeth were passed around so kids could get a close-up look at what can happen when they ignore what they learn at the Sugar Bowl.
Brushing is stressed as a way to clean teeth after a meal, but what if you aren’t at home?
Cpl. Marshell Knighten, preventive dentistry specialist, DENTAC, helped Houston teach the kids the skills to conquer cavities.
She explained to students that if you can’t brush after a meal, chewing sugarless gum with xylitol, which can help prevent cavities, or drinking water are good ways to help clean their teeth. “The gum can help remove food particles that are on or in between your teeth,” said Knighten.
Before long, the lecture was over and it was time for the second half of the Sugar Bowl to begin. This part of the annual event demonstrates how much attention was paid during the first half of the program. “They all want to be part of the game. They raise their hand because they want to show what they know about how to care for teeth. Then they take that information home and show their parents how much they know. Interaction is the key,” said Houston.
The rules of the Sugar Bowl were simple. Girls and boys were chosen to represent their gender in a quiz for the ages. If they listened to the information prior to the game, they wouldn’t have any trouble answering Houston’s dental questions. The first team to answer 10 questions correctly won. Each team could get help from the audience for one question in the form of a lifeline.
Teams were evenly matched and faught with determination and grit for every point. Every question the boys answered correctly, the girls came right back and unerringly matched them point for point right up to the last question. That’s when the girls faltered and the boys won.
Ashley Sizemore, 10, was a member of the girl’s team. She said the best thing about the Sugar Bowl was answering the questions and being on stage. “We all worked together on getting the questions correct,” said Sizemore. Her teammate, Hannah Raciti, 10, said some of the questions were hard, but most of them were pretty easy.
Isaiah Heredia was on the boy’s team and said his favorite thing about playing in the Sugar Bowl was winning. “I knew the answer to the orthodontist question because I’m going to see one next month. I need braces,” said Heredia.
As children went back to class, Houston said he felt his goals of teaching teamwork and oral health were a success. “The Sugar Bowl’s purpose is to highlight the information they don’t already know when they go to the dentist. We give it to them in bite-sized amounts so they don’t get overwhelmed and they can share the information with their parents,” said Houston.
In most games, winning is the ultimate goal, but in this case the true victory is achieved when children learn how to better care for their teeth and have fun doing it.
