January 2024 | Issue No. 35

Preparing for National Children’s Dental Health Month

Welcome to Resources to Make You Smile! This monthly newsletter features information and tools Head Start staff can use to help families promote good oral health. These tips help Head Start staff support families, expectant families, and children. The newsletter also includes a recipe for a healthy snack that children can make in a Head Start classroom or at home with their families.

February Is National Children’s Dental Health Month 

January is a great time to plan activities to celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in February. Developing positive oral health habits and visiting the dentist regularly at an early age gets children started on a lifetime of good oral health. 

Head Start staff can help raise children’s and parents’ awareness about the importance of oral health and what they can do to keep their mouths healthy.

Resources for Staff

Brush Up on Oral Health
Explore these tips sheets to learn how to promote positive oral health practices among families and Head Start program staff:

• Engaging Parents in Their Child’s Oral Health
• Promoting Oral Health and School Readiness
• Promoting Oral Health in Head Start Programs and at Home

February Is National Children’s Dental Health Month
Download the American Dental Association’s 2024 National Children’s Dental Health Month posters, flyers, program planning guide, and publicity resources to spread the word among families and Head Start program staff about the importance of good oral health.

A Head Start Teacher’s Guide for Creating Healthy Smiles
Use this curriculum in the classroom to teach children about why teeth are important, how tooth decay develops, how tooth decay and oral injuries can be prevented, and who can help them keep their mouths healthy.

Improving Oral Health Literacy Brightens Children's Smiles
Jan. 30, 2024, 3–4 p.m. ET
Register for this webinar to hear from the Sesame Street Workshop and a dentist about oral health literacy and why it matters. Discover resources for improving the oral health literacy of Head Start families and program staff. A Spanish-language webinar is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET.

Resources for Parents

Share these Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles handouts with parents to help them understand why taking care of their babies’ teeth helps promote overall health and development.

• Taking Care of Your Baby’s Oral Health
• Understanding Why Baby Teeth Are Important
• Visiting the Dentist by Age 1

Show these Sesame Street videos to teach parents how to take care of their babies’ teeth and help them understand the importance of brushing with fluoride toothpaste.

• Brush with Elmo
• How Much Toothpaste?
• Starting Early

Something to Smile About: Parents’ Guide to Keeping Little Mouths Healthy
Share this guide from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association with families to remind and encourage them to practice good oral health habits at home.

Cook’s Corner Recipe: Melted Snowman Water

Ingredients
36 round ice balls
12 baby (small) carrots
24 blueberries
1 pitcher of water
12 clear glasses

Directions

1.  Make ice balls using a round ice cube tray or small water balloons.
2.  Add three ice balls to each glass.
3.  Put one baby carrot and two blueberries in each glass.
4.  Fill the glass with water and serve.

Makes 12 servings

Stay Connected!

Join MyPeers to connect with Head Start and early childhood colleagues around the country on this and other topics. Members of the Health, Safety, and Wellness community are currently networking, sharing, and learning from each other. Find it under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.

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We Want to Hear from You!

Send your questions or comments to the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety at [email protected] or (toll-free) 888-227-5125.