 The Ministry of Health's dental unit is embarking on a campaign focused on proper dental hygiene in St. Lucia. The brush well tooth brushing campaign will engage students within the ages of four to six years old. Senior dental surgeon Dr. Sherry E. Frim Lacompt says the goal is to raise awareness of the importance and need for good oral health among children. Kindergarteners and grade one students are not too young to learn that proper dental hygiene practices can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease which ultimately increases their chances of maintaining a healthier mouth and teeth as they grow into their adult years. Dr. Lacompt notes that through the campaign infants will develop the required skills and habits needed to ensure a healthy mouth is maintained. The objective of this activity is to support parents in their efforts to keep their children's oral health in good stead as children at this age do not have the manual dexterity to brush properly and some parents do not have the time on a morning to help them brush their teeth. The activities will include coloring of the teeth which helps expose plaque oral health education and teaching modified tooth brushing techniques. The Ministry of Education has given its full endorsement to the campaign. In the past collaborations such as these has led to lasting effects in the lives of our students. Today the Ministry of Education applause the dental service unit for this initiative and it is a very innovative idea which will create and increase awareness of good oral hygiene among our students. Puberant Secretary Jenny Daniel heaped high praises onto the unit for its innovation. Now I want to pause a little to place a special emphasis on the fact that we are proud of and me in particular because as Puberant Secretary of the Ministry I must say that I don't feel leaned upon to any great extent by the dental services unit. It's almost as though they don't exist but very quietly they trudge on and they make landmark very very very inspiring and impactful initiatives and achievements in so far as dental health is concerned and they deserve a round of applause. Health Minister Honorable Moses Shabbatis also echoed words of commendation to the dental unit for their strides over the years. The brushwell to brushing drive will incorporate an island-wide coordinated effort with other units of the Ministry of Health and the full support of the Ministry of Education. All school children in the kindergarten and grade one classes will have the opportunity to be engaged and participate at the same time as the tagline says brushing together for life. The brushwell tooth brushing campaign which will be undertaken at schools around the island is sponsored by the International College of Dentists. Director of Global Operations Chelsea Segrin says the ICD is extremely proud to be part of the initiative. We are confident it will reach its goal of raising awareness of effective tooth brushing techniques to foster better oral hygiene practices and overall health in the children of St. Lucia. Dr. Lacombe was recently bestowed a prestigious fellowship from the ICD for continuous efforts in the field of dentistry. The ICD, through their Global Visionary Fund, continues to provide support for projects such as the brushwell tooth brushing drive. For the Ministry of Health Wellness and LLA Affairs, I'm St. Justin.