THEODOSIA - Brush twice daily is something dentists say to kids on a regular basis, but not everyone is fortunate enough to get to see a dentist.
At Lutie School in Theodosia, they are trying to prevent tooth decay in students because not being able to see a dentist, is not the only problem Lutie students face.
Most students drink well water, which doesn't have fluoride in it.
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay, so not having fluoride in the water raises concern.
3rd grader Tyler Pellham opens wide, for his first application of fluoride varnish.
"It's going to make your teeth feel a little fuzzy and a little sticky. You don't want to brush off today, you can brush off tomorrow," dental hygienist Bonnie Branson said.
But, Pellham doesn't mind the inconvenience because he knows he needs his teeth.
"They're useful and you need to keep them because you're going to need them for a long time," Pellham said.
Because there is no fluoride in the drinking water, Lutie Schools used to give students a fluoride rinse once a week.
"Fluoride rinse. I went to the classroom myself and passed out rinse every week and did it for all 3 schools. Lutie, Mark Twain, and Thornfield," school nurse Kristi Williams said.
But, the new fluoride varnish only has to be applied twice a year.
"This doesn't take the place of fluoride in the water. It certainly adds to the effect of decay preventing measures of fluoride," Branson said.
Tooth decay is something school nurse Kristi Williams has seen a lot of in her 11 years at Lutie.
"The kids who still have decay, they're sitting there in the classroom in pain, so I'm trying to get that fixed, do they're no longer in pain. You can't study when you're in pain," Williams said.
Pain both Lutie Schools and Department of Health and Senior Services are trying to prevent with the fluoride varnish.
"For $1.25 per year per child, we can bring the program in, collect info, provide education and prevent dental decay," Branson said.
The fluoride varnish is one of three parts of the Missouri Preventive Services Program for oral health.
The other two parts are educating the students and screening the students for other possible dental problems.