Sophia brushes up on art skills to win poster competition and meet Red Arrows

Community Dental Services CIC ran a competition, in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Health team, asking Lincolnshire children to design a poster to help raise awareness of the importance of developing good oral health from a young age, with the winning design being used on educational resources throughout the county.

Children were asked to design a poster either about brushing teeth, or about tooth friendly foods and drinks

Sofia Terry, 7, was praised for her bold, eye-catching picture with a strong message, “Brush your teeth, love your smile”, and celebrated with a trip to see the iconic Red Arrows at their base at RAF Waddington on Thursday July 6.

During her visit, she was awarded her prize of an electric toothbrush by CDS and local authority teams before meeting the pilots, getting a tour of the aircraft and watching a practice display.

Sofia said “I got to experience being with the Red Arrows and it made me feel happy and special. I'm pleased I entered the competition, thank you for picking me as the winner.”

Jennifer Baitup, Oral Health Improvement Manager for CDS Lincolnshire, said: “With increasing numbers of children experiencing dental decay by the age of five, National Smile Month 2023 shone a light on the importance of brushing our teeth.

"We received a huge number of amazing designs and are thrilled that the winner was chosen by the RAF Red Arrows. Sofia’s poster has a strong message and an eye-catching picture, and we are delighted to be using her design on our future educational resources.”

Coun Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “Good oral health is particularly important for children and young people, and the poster competition was an ideal opportunity to remind them of the benefits of regular brushing.

"Aside from our poster competition, there’s lots of ways to get involved and inspire your youngsters to take good care of their teeth, keeping a healthy smile on their face.”

Wing Commander Adam Collins, Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, said: “It was wonderful to meet Sofia and her family at RAF Waddington and help highlight this important oral health message.”