Thursday, March 2, 2017

Building Health Literacy with Read Across America



If you’ve ever read a book with a child, you know the feeling of joy that comes from the experience, as well as how fundamental literacy is for people of any age.


So it is a source of pride that DentaQuest staff from coast to coast are joining teachers, celebrities, community members and parents in getting kids excited about reading through the National Education Association's (NEA's) Read Across America Campaign, a celebration of reading timed with the birthday of Dr. Seuss.


As health industry professionals, we have a responsibility to educate consumers so they can be active advocates for their own health. In its health literacy fact sheetthe CDC says 9 out of 10 adults struggle to understand and use health information, especially when it is unfamiliar, complex or jargon-filled. In fact, low literacy contributes to poor health outcomes, higher rates of hospital utilization, and less frequent use of preventive services, in addition to overall higher health care costs.


According to the National Center for Education Statistics, since 1993 just 53 to 58 percent of children ages 3 to 5 years read or were read to on a daily basis.


Simply reading daily with a child is important.

  • Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school. 
  • Children who read frequently develop stronger reading skills. 

As part of this year’s NEA campaign, our staff is visiting schools in:
  • Columbia, S.C.; 
  • Locust Hill and Richmond, Va.; 
  • Lincoln, Neb.; 
  • Milwaukee and Mequon, Wisc.; 
  • Austin and Red Rock, Texas; 
  • Doral, Fla.; 
  • Snoqualmie, Wa.; 
  • Anniston, Ala.; and 
  • the Greater Boston area. 

We are reading one of three fun books --Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby B. Beeler, The Tooth Book by Edward Miller, and Open Wide by Laurie Keller. The school’s library will also get the book to keep for future reading.



Staff who have already visited classrooms said they felt like rock stars and oral health ambassadors. The children loved the facts we shared about their teeth, including how they should take care of their own teeth and gums.


Dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease – and it is preventable. Introducing children to fun facts about their mouths, teeth and gums through the books we brought for Read Across America is a strong step in building the health literacy skills and disease prevention awareness that will empower this next generation of consumers to be health-knowledgeable adults.


Efforts like these will go a long way to helping us achieve our vision of being a nation where children can grow up free of dental disease.