Healthy Kids Running Series Kicks Off April 27
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Healthy Kids Running Series Kicks Off April 27

A Bennington chapter of Healthy Kids Running Series, a national, community-based nonprofit that provides fun running and competition opportunities for kids, is slated to kick off on April 27th at 2 p.m. at Mount Anthony Union High School.

According to Joel Stark, the program’s community coordinator, Healthy Kids is designed for children ages 2 to 14 and “aims to inspire children to be active and healthy while creating meaningful relationships within our community.”

Held over a series of five weeks, the series involves once-a-week races on Sundays. Participants are grouped with age peers and challenged to run age-appropriate race distances. Runners compete each week for a chance to earn points. At the end of the Series the boys and girls who accumulate the most points in their respective distances are awarded trophies, while all participants receive a medal on Week 5. 

The local program co-coordinator Laura Stark notes, “The program provides a safe, family atmosphere and welcomes children of all abilities. It’s a great way to build their self-esteem while helping them discover the joy and sense of accomplishment that can come from being active and pushing yourself.”

The first weekly session of Healthy Kids will be Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. at Mount Anthony Union High School at 130 Park Street, Bennington.

Early bird registration for the Healthy Kids Running Series is live at this link. All registrations received before April 6 will be discounted to $48.70 (including fees); registrations received after April 6 will be $54.00 (including fees).

To learn more, click here.

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Why Dental Hygiene is More Important than Ever

You may have heard that COVID-19 has inspired physicians to offer online appointments. For many health concerns, you can meet with your physician using your phone or computer and get care that is very similar to what you would have received in the office.

Regular dental check-ups and treatments, though, certainly cannot be done remotely. And the masks patients wear to prevent passing germs in other in-person medical visits cannot be worn during a dental appointment. These factors make it difficult to deliver safe dental care during this time. In fact, most dentists' offices have been closed for much of the pandemic. They will likely remain closed until we determine how to provide care safely.

Taking good care of your teeth and gums at home contributes to good oral health and good general health, too. A strong oral-health routine can help lessen the need for extensive dental care and some other types of care in the future. For all of these reasons, your at-home dental care routine is more important than ever.

Brush Twice You've likely heard the same message since grade school: brush at least twice a day. Not much, including even a pandemic, will change that. Be sure to use a fluoride toothpaste, and aim to spend about 2 minutes to clean your whole mouth.

Doing so decreases the amount of bacteria in your mouth and limits the formation of plaque. Bacteria and plaque can build up and cause painful cavities. Skipping brushing can also lead to gum disease.

Clean Between Teeth Daily Whether you use floss, an interdental brush, an oral irrigator, or a toothpick, you should clean between your teeth every day. What method is best? Just like exercise, the best method is the one that you will consistently do.

Follow a Healthy Diet As if you needed another reason to avoid sugary beverages and snacks! The link between sugar intake and cavities is very well established. And treatments for cavities are among the most common that dentists perform. Avoiding sugar will improve your oral health and will likely make a positive impact on your overall health, as well.

These tips represent general recommendations that would be appropriate for most patients. Your dentist might have additional recommendations for you, including mouth rinses or other specific steps you can take to maintain your dental health during COVID-19 and beyond.

If you have questions, give your dentist’s office a call. Even if they are not right in the office, they will likely provide a way for you to reach out to get your questions answered.

Michael Brady, DDS, is the medical director of SVMC Dentistry.

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