March 2024 | Issue No. 37

Using Teledentistry to Provide Care for Children

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.

Teledentistry

Many families struggle to find oral health care. They may live in areas where few oral health professionals work or have difficulty traveling to a dental office or clinic for a visit. Providing oral health care, including exams and preventive care, using teledentistry does not require going to a dental office or clinic.

Teledentistry can be especially beneficial for children attending Head Start programs in frontier, rural, and underserved areas. It allows children to receive care in their community, which means missing fewer school days than they would if they had to travel for in-person dental visits. Appointments can be held in local early childhood education centers, schools, churches, and other community sites. In many cases, teledentistry can meet children’s oral health needs, unless oral disease is present and cannot be treated on site.

Resources for Staff

Review these Brush Up on Oral Health tip sheets to learn about the benefits and limitations of teledentistry. In the first tip sheet, find out how teledentistry works and how it can be used in Head Start programs. The second tip sheet addresses how state dental hygienist liaisons can help Health Services Advisory Committees implement teledentistry.

• Using Teledentistry to Provide Care for Children
• Understanding the Role of Dental Hygienist Liaisons

Cook’s Corner Recipe: Veggie Rainbow

Ingredients
1 red pepper
1 small cucumber
1 celery stalk
1 medium-sized carrot
1 cup of ranch, Thousand Island, French, or other salad dressing

Directions

1. Cut vegetables into 1½ to 2 inch strips.
2. Put two slices of each vegetable in a small cup or on a plate.
3. Place 1 ounce of salad dressing in a small cup or on the plate with the vegetables, and serve.

Makes 8 serving
Safety tip: To prevent injuries, an adult should slice ingredients.

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.