Raising Children's Dental Awareness Published Feb. 19, 2014 By 5th Medical Operations Squadron 5th Medical Operations Squadron MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- February is National Children's Dental Health Month. The Minot Air Force Base Dental Clinic visited schools in the local district to educate the children on oral hygiene care and promote dental wellness. They learned about brushing, flossing, and healthy eating through fun activities and demonstrations. The Dental Clinic's primary mission is to take care of the active duty members, but it is also their mission to raise oral health awareness to the community. It is ideal to have your child's first dental visit by the age of one or when the first tooth comes in. This means that you will need to have your children enrolled in the TRICARE dental program, which is provided by MetLife. It is recommended to enroll the child when they are between six to eight months old. The process of enrolling your children isn't as difficult as you think. For a premium payment, you can enroll online, by telephone, or by mail. Go to www.tricare.mil/bwe to enroll online. To enroll by phone, call 1-855-638-8371, and to enroll by mail, send a completed TRICARE Dental Program Enrollment Authorization document (which can be downloaded from www.tricare.mil/bwe) to: MetLife TRICARE Dental Program Enrollment and Billing Services P.O. Box 14185 Lexington, KY 40512 Family members of active duty service members, National Guard, and Reserve are eligible to enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program. The beneficiary's eligibility is verified through DEERS, so make sure that the information on each child is up-to-date. You can update the DEERS information online at www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/address/index.jsp. You can also update it by calling the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office at 1-800-538-9552. There are approximately 12 downtown Minot providers that accept the MetLife insurance. For more detailed information about the MetLife TRICARE Dental Program, visit www.tricare.mil/bwe.