Resources to Make you Smile!

April 18, 2024

April 2024 | Issue No. 38

Incorporating Oral Health into Emergency Preparedness

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, pregnant women and pregnant people, and children. Don’t forget to check out our featured recipe for a healthy snack that children can make in a Head Start program classroom or at home with their families.

Oral Health and Emergency Preparedness

 

Head Start staff and families often do not consider oral health in their emergency preparedness and recovery plans. Including toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste in an emergency kit allows Head Start staff and families to maintain good oral hygiene throughout an emergency. Being prepared and knowing how to respond to urgent oral health problems can also help keep a child or adult with an oral injury calm and comfortable before receiving treatment.

 

Resources for Staff

Review these Brush Up on Oral Health tip sheets to learn about including oral health in an emergency plan and the supplies needed to respond to an oral health injury:

Watch the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery video to learn what protocols to have in place in case an oral health injury or emergency occurs.

Resources for Parents

Share these Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles handouts with parents to help them learn about ways to prevent oral injuries and giving first aid if an injury occurs:

Encourage parents to visit Sesame Workshop’s Emergencies webpage to learn about the importance of being prepared for an emergency and to find helpful resources.

Cook’s Corner Recipe: Bunny Egg Cups

 

Ingredients
6 eggs, hard-boiled peeled, and cut in half
1–2 carrots, cut into 24-inch-long triangles
1 carrot, cut into small triangles
1 lettuce leaf, torn into small pieces
12 small containers, such as paper cups or paper cupcake liners

Directions

  1. Put one egg half into each container with the yolk facing up.
  2. Place two carrot triangles on the egg to form bunny ears.
  3. Place three carrot triangles on the egg to form a bunny nose and eyes.
  4. Add one or two pieces of lettuce on one side of each container.

 

Photo of bunny egg cups.
 

Makes 12 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.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe to stay up to date!

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.
URL: 
https://www.mchoralhealth.org/headstart/smile.php