HAYDEN - Dr. Justin Rader screened the teeth of 43 teens at a recent holiday-themed dental party. Then, he fed their brains.

"Very few floss, so we talk about it," said Rader, a dentist for the Dirne Community Health Center in Coeur d'Alene. "I can tell them why flossing is necessary so they understand why it's important. I like to open up a conversation."

Education was a priority of the third annual Teen Dental Party at the Panhandle Health District. Middle and high school students with parental consent filled out surveys about their knowledge of oral health care. Linda Harder, coordinator of PHD's Oral Health program, plans to use the survey results to tailor educational displays, literature and oral hygiene training to the content area teens need most.

Survey results showed teens have much to learn about their dental health. Twenty-three percent admitted they brush their teeth just a few times per week. More than half said they don't floss. About half believe that how often they eat is less important for dental health than what they eat. A quarter didn't know that piercings in the mouth can cause the tongue to swell and can block the airway.

"We need to improve oral health literacy," Harder said. "There's a long-held perception by the public that oral health is not as important as general health."

Improving oral health literacy is a goal of the Dentaquest Foundation, which provided funding to enhance the teen dental party. Rader supports the goal.

"I tried to talk to all the kids about bacteria, how they spread it when they share straws," Rader said. "Once they understand, they change what they do."

While kids waited for no-cost dental services at the party, they studied educational displays and informational brochures on dental care to take home. Most also took home vouchers donated by local dentists for follow-up services. Eight dental offices gave more than two dozen vouchers.

Teens also went home with dental supplies and door prizes that ranged from pizzas and pretzels to passes for water parks and bowling.

The teen dental parties began in 2010 to provide oral health services to kids from families with no means to pay for dental work. PHD hygienists Carrie Busch and Karla Marshall apply sealants to the chewing surfaces of kids' permanent molars to reduce the risk of cavities. They also apply fluoride varnish that strengthens teeth and helps prevent decay.