You’re making a difference! A 2012-13 Oral Health Status report of kindergartners in 72 of NC’s 100 counties found that 64% had no obvious signs of tooth decay; only 13% had untreated tooth decay. This report by the Oral Health Section of the NC Department of Health and Human Services shows that North Carolina is still a leader in the effort to safeguard children’s overall health through good dental practices.
So, how can you improve those numbers and connect with parents about the importance of dental visits? Here are some great ways to start the conversation with the parents in your program.
- Ask open-ended questions:
“What’s your concern about going to the dentist?”
- Follow up on the reflections by asking permission to share some tips for fitting in the dentist visit.
“May I share a few ideas that may make it easier for you?”
- Reflect back to the parent what you’re hearing in a way that inspires behavior change:
“I see. Getting Michael to the dentist means you have to fit it in to your already busy schedule.”
- Last, summarize what you and the parent have agreed to do:
“Great! You’ll schedule it on your next day off.”
To learn more about how you can help your program’s parents improve their children’s dental health, see the video Tooth Talk Moments below. For other helpful videos about motivational interviewing, click here or go to the Videos tab at the top of the page.
