Seventeen East Gippsland early childhood services including Bairnsdale’s Eastwood Early Learning Centre are working to keep big, healthy smiles on the faces of local kids through the Smiles 4 Miles dental health initiative.

Bairnsdale Regional Health Service is responsible for the local rollout of Dental Health Services Smiles 4 Miles program, which aims to improve the oral health of Gippsland’s preschool-aged children and their families by encouraging healthy eating, healthy drinking and good oral hygiene.

BRHS Smiles for Miles Co-ordinator Natalie Paterson said around 1,400 families are participating in Smiles 4 Miles this year.

“We know that good oral health is essential to your overall health and wellbeing, and we also know that good habits are learned early in life,” she said.

“That is why we are encouraging good oral health habits with our youngest members of our community and their families.”

Smiles 4 Miles is an award program that recognises early childhood services for implementing healthy eating and oral health policies, engaging with families about the importance of oral health, and educating children.

That education comes through a variety of fun learning experiences based on the Smiles 4 Miles key messages – Drink Well, Eat Well and Clean Well.

Natalie serves a huge area that stretches from Bairnsdale to Omeo, Swifts Creek and Mallacoota.

Natalie said Eastwood Early Learning Centre has actively promoted our Smiles 4 Miles messages and is well on the way to earning their award at the end of the year.

“Cass Briggs and the team at Eastwood ELC have gone above and beyond and really embraced the program as part of her curriculum,” she said.