CHILDREN at a Gwent school have plenty to grin about in National Smile Week as they learn how to keep their teeth and bodies healthy.

Staff from the Peter Walker dental practice, Ponthir, visited Caerleon Endowed Infants to discuss the best way to brush teeth and pick healthy snacks.

It was one of a series of events being held at the school this week as part of its own 'good health week'.

Co-ordinator Rachel Kendall explained they were part of the healthy schools project for Newport and Monmouthshire and each year they must meet certain targets.

During the week the children have been visited by the Red Cross and the Kinetic Theatre Group who performed a show called The Filla Cavity. The Caerleon school nurse also talked to them yesterday.

Today, St John's Ambulance were lined up to show some very simple first-aid and fruit merchant Harry Wheeler was giving the pupils some healthy snacks to mark Fruity Friday.

Even the nursery children were keeping on their toes with a sponsored bounce-athon.

Miss Kendall said the school already had phase one and two awards and were now working towards phase three.

"The children really enjoy it. It is important we start the message early and hopefully they will continue it through life. The parents are very supportive and we have a policy in school that the children are only allowed to bring in fruit or a plain biscuit for break."

National Smile Week is an annual event run by the British Dental Health Foundation in the third week of May to raise awareness of good oral health care.

This year's campaign, the 27th, is focusing on the family. Under the theme 'the four ages of dental health', the Foundation is looking at how people's dental needs vary according to their age.