Free dental screenings will be available weekdays at the Illinois State Fair, beginning Friday, August 8.
Illinois health officials are working with dentists, dental hygienists, and oral health advocates throughout the state to provide the screenings, according to the state's Department of Public Health.
State law requires schoolchildren in kindergarten, second, and six grades to have a dental examination -- although yearly dental exams are encouraged for all schoolchildren.
Free dental screenings will be conducted by volunteer oral health professionals in the Wellness on Wheels mobile health van from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during weekdays at the fair, which runs until August 1.
Studies indicate a major reason for school absence is dental disease. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 51 million school hours are lost because of dental problems. Tooth decay is still the major cause of tooth loss in children.
