Windham students learn dental care

"We talked about brushing techniques," Sokolosky said. "The right way to brush, flossing and what the routine should be everyday."

Students learned to brush their teeth twice a day, floss at least once a day and visit a dentist twice a year.

Sokolosky said it's important the children learn about good dental health at a young age because that's when habits begin to form.

"So if you talk to them about it now, they'll form a routine and they'll have good brushing habits for the rest of their lives," she said.

While visiting the school, Sokolosky also played a guessing game, in which the children had to decide what foods were good and bad for their teeth.

Foods considered good included fruits, vegetables, milk, bread and cheese.

Foods that caused a bit of confusion in the children were cookies and juice.

Sokolosky explained to the students that although those snacks are yummy and good every once and a while, they contain sugar, which is bad for teeth.

Students also watched a video and played a dental trivia game where they were able to get some exercise in while answering questions.

"This is their P.E. class, so they have a lot of energy," Sokolosky said. "We wanted to mix it in, educational, and get some of that energy out for the rest of the day."

Sarrell Dental is a non-profit dental service for children in Alabama. The company has 12 different locations and a mobile dental bus, which provides dental education for schools and organizations regularly.

"We do dental education with daycares, elementary schools, junior high, high schools and several other organizations like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the Boys and Girl Club, just to talk to them about good dental hygiene," Sokolosky said.

Sokolosky said she enjoyed her visit at Windham and hopes the kids had fun too.

"We want the kids to learn, but also have fun so they'll retain some of the information," she said. "But so far it’s been a great experience."

February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is sponsored by the American Dental Association.