Third grade students selected winners of the 2026 'Share Your Smile with Alabama' competition

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Oral Health Office announces the winners of the ninth annual smile photo contest for third grade students in Alabama. The students will be spotlighted in marketing campaigns to promote children's oral health in the state, especially during February, National Children's Dental Health Month.

A boy and a girl were chosen from photo submissions as the overall winners of the "Share Your Smile with Alabama" campaign for 2026. Winners are Kaydense Anthony-Johnson from Macon County, who attends George Washington Carver Elementary School in Tuskegee, and Caleb Patterson from Montgomery County, who attends MacMillan International Magnet School in Montgomery. The pair was invited to a formal announcement and presentation on January 8.

State Dental Health Director Dr. Tommy Johnson said, "We sponsor this contest each year to increase awareness of the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers, and others. Developing good oral health habits at an early age and regular dental visits lead to a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums."

ADPH encourages the good oral hygiene habits of brushing and flossing, supports community water fluoridation, and promotes the HPV vaccine that has been approved for children beginning at 9 years of age. HPV vaccine is a cancer-prevention tool supported by major health organizations.

Good oral health is especially important for children and can help improve performance in school. Cavities, also known as caries or tooth decay, are among the most common chronic conditions of children in the United States. Untreated dental cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing and learning. Children who have poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than their fellow students.

The ADPH Oral Health Office is dedicated to preventing dental disease for Alabamians by promoting and developing quality, cost-effective community- and school-based preventive, educational and early treatment programs which emphasize the elimination of oral health disparities.

For more oral health information, go to https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/oralhealth/index.html