Kentucky Trains Early Childhood Professionals on Oral Health
The Kentucky Oral Health Coalition has implemented a new program in which early childhood professionals across the state will receive training on the importance of children’s oral health and steps they can take to educate parents/caregivers on the subject in an effort to reduce the incidence of early childhood caries.
The Kentucky Oral Health Coalition has implemented a new program in which early childhood professionals across the state will receive training on the importance of children’s oral health and steps they can take to educate parents/caregivers on the subject in an effort to reduce the incidence of early childhood caries (ECC).
Laura Hancock Jones, DMD, a dentist with University of Kentucky Dental Outreach, stressed the importance of establishing early oral health habits by age 2. She states that parents need to hear this message when their children are young, so they can implement good oral health routines before their children begin school.
Early childhood professional Molly Oliver, who runs a day care center in the state and was among those who received training from the coalition, said such education enables her to foster a strong relationship with children’s parents. “We want to help build a relationship with our parents to help them and their children achieve better oral health,” she explains.
By surrounding children with adults, caregivers, and early childhood professionals who encourage healthy oral habits, coalition members hope that children will adopt healthy oral hygiene habits that last a lifetime. The Kentucky Oral Health Coalition is partnering with the University of California, Los Angeles Health Care Institute and the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood to provide $1,000 to train early childhood professionals in 10 communities.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. February 2015;13(2):14.
