It’s said, feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. So, this season, we’re telling it like it is: We are grateful for all the people working to ensure children have healthy teeth! From parents and child care providers to pediatric dentists and pediatrician offices, we thank you for all you are and do for the children in your care–whether it’s brushing little teeth or modeling good health behaviors, providing an oral exam or applying fluoride varnish. We appreciate your commitment, wisdom, passion, and vision for the well-being of children.
This year’s Tooth Talk gratitude list combines some oldies but goodies, along with a few new things to be grateful for in the work to protect children’s healthy smiles.
We’re thankful for...
- The Medicaid expansion providing medical and dental coverage for more families.
- All the parents who took their children to their age one dental visit!
- Child care providers who are faithfully and diligently working the toothbrushing programs in their centers.
- Affordable children’s toothbrushes and toothpastes, thanks to discount and dollar stores, making it easy to brush little teeth two times a day with safe and healthy fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay.
- More ways to get quality dental health care at pediatrician and family physician offices. These healthcare pros are providing oral health screenings and fluoride varnish at regular medical and well-child visits.
- Effective treatments that replace stressful and expensive hospitalizations of children for dental work. These include fluoride varnish and silver diamine fluoride, a protective substance painted on children’s teeth to help stop tooth decay.
- North Carolina pediatric dentists, specially trained oral health professionals dedicated to caring for young children’s teeth.
- Plenty of quick and easy education tools with the latest updates and tips on good oral health for children, such as the State of North Carolina Oral Health Section, GoNapSacc.org, MouthHealthy.org, and Toothtalk.org.
