Children with special health care needs face many barriers to oral care and are at high risk for oral disease. School nurses are in a unique position to promote oral wellness in this vulnerable population. Collaboration between school nurses and dental hygiene faculty resulted in the formation of a partnership between a university-based dental…

Background: Oral malodor (halitosis or bad breath) might be an important motivation tool for improving oral health in adolescents. There are few studies that report the epidemiology of oral malodor in high school students and the relationships with lifestyle and oral health status. This research was conducted to obtain underlying data for…

This paper examines the effect of oral health on labor market outcomes by exploiting variation in fluoridated water exposure during childhood. The politics surrounding the adoption of water fluoridation by local governments suggests exposure to fluoride is exogenous to other factors affecting earnings. Exposure to fluoridated water increases…

The potential health benefits of early childhood education programs are quite large, especially for children living in poverty. In this report, authors Allison Friedman-Krauss and Steve Barnett set out the evidence regarding the short and long term health benefits to children from early childhood education programs, identify the features of…

Dental caries, periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers have significant burden of disease effects, quality of life and cost implications for the Australian community. Oral health promotion is a key approach to addressing these conditions endorsed as part of the National Oral Health Plan. Understanding the evidence for effectiveness of…

Changes in the prevalence of oral diseases and the funding of National Health Service Dentistry in the United Kingdom have combined to emphasize the role of the dental team in the prevention of disease. As part of this, oral health promotion plays a vital role in local communities and educational settings. Like many other inner-city London…

The School-Based Health Alliance Census for the 2010-2011 school year is the 12th request for data from school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986. SBHCs are health centers that provide comprehensive care to children and adolescents in a setting that is trusted, familiar, and immediately accessible: their school. SBHCs serve at the…

Too many parents of children with special healthcare needs come upon dental care for their child out of necessity or urgency. In order to make the relationship most beneficial, the preferred way is to establish a Dental Home during the child's infancy. The Dental Home is the oral health corollary of the Medical Home concept that the American…

Objectives: To explore factors underlying African Americans' perceptions of oral cancer and the oral cancer exam. Study findings were used to guide development of oral cancer messages designed to increase oral cancer exams among African Americans. Methods: Focus groups were conducted to understand African Americans' attitudes and expectations…

The purpose of this Toolkit is to provide guidance, technical tools, and resources to help states, territories, tribes and communities develop and implement successful oral health components of Healthy People 2010 plans as well as other oral health plans. These plans are useful for: (1) promoting, implementing and tracking oral health objectives;…

Background: Dental disease is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism for children. This article describes the creation and evolution of the St. David's Dental Program, a mobile school-based dental program for children. Methods: The dental program is a collaboration of community partners in Central Texas that provides free dental care to…

Background and objective: Brushing for Life is intended to promote regular brushing of children's teeth with fluoride toothpaste. The programme is delivered by health visitors who provide toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental health education material at children's 8, 18 and 36 month development checks. The purpose of the present paper was to…

Objective: To investigate the views and experiences of parents whose children have rampant tooth decay. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 19 parents of varied age and social background whose children had been referred to Dundee Dental Hospital for assessment for dental extractions. Participants were encouraged to…

This health curriculum for teachers, after-school providers, and school nurses uses the cartoon character Arthur to introduce four units that explore four distinct early childhood health themes. The themes are: "Eat Well. Stay Fit" (good nutrition and exercise); "Open Wide!" (dental health); "Dealing with Feelings"…

This study examines what school experiences influence dental hygiene and nutrition behaviors of Canadian adolescents from the 1998 Cross-national Survey on Health Behaviors in School-aged Children (HBSC). Multilevel analyses highlight the rare use of dental floss among adolescents. Females are more likely to brush and floss teeth than males.…