These resources address practices that keep the mouth clean and healthy, preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Topics include brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing (when the teeth touch), and regularly visiting the dentist.
Long term use of pacifiers can affect your child’s bite and the growth of the jaws and bones that support their teeth. If your child shows no interest in giving up their pacifier by 18 months, they may need help to stop.
This tip sheet provides guidance for Head Start programs on how to resume toothbrushing in group care settings by implementing strategies to reduce the likelihood of virus transmission to others via salivary droplets during brushing.
Find out how some oral habits may be harmful to children’s teeth and mouths. Explore tips staff can share with parents about using a pacifier safely and weaning their child from a pacifier.
Toothbrushing in a Head Start classroom can be done at the sink or at the classroom table. Learn about the advantages of brushing at the classroom table and get step-by-step instructions for how to do this.
Learn why drinking water is important for good oral health and find resources Head Start staff can use to promote drinking water.
Explore information and strategies Head Start staff can use to promote positive oral health practices among pregnant women, parents, and Head Start staff.
Explore information and strategies Head Start staff can use to improve parents’ understanding of oral health’s impact on learning and to promote positive oral health practices in the classroom.
Learn about the role of fluoride — including fluoride toothpaste, fluoride supplements, fluoride varnish, silver diamine fluoride, and community water fluoridation — in the prevention and treatment of tooth decay.
Explore information and strategies Head Start staff can use to help pregnant women and parents find oral health care, prepare for dental visits, and prepare for oral health issues during a natural disaster.
Discover information and strategies Head Start staff can use in the classroom and share with parents on improving and maintaining the oral health of children, including children with disabilities.