SPOT Toolkit

This section of our oral health toolkit is designed specifically for you, providing a wealth of resources to help improve children’s oral health. Here, you’ll find materials to incorporate oral health into your daily activities with students, printable resources to display throughout the school, and content for weekly newsletters or emails sent home to parents and caregivers.

Oral health is a critical component of overall health, especially for children. In Pennsylvania, the data highlights the importance of proactive oral health measures:

• Approximately 20% of third-grade children in Pennsylvania have untreated dental decay.
• Nearly 50% of children aged 6-9 have experienced dental caries.
• Children with poor oral health are three times more likely to miss school due to dental pain. Here is a link to the most recent basic screening survey conducted in PA in 2021-2022. Please include this BSS one pager summary to continue to advocate for overall health for students in your school.

By utilizing the resources in this toolkit, you can help reduce these statistics and promote healthier smiles among your students.

Ensuring children have access to dental care is vital for their overall health and well-being. As a school nurse, school administrator, or teacher, you play a key role in connecting families to the resources they need. Below is a guide to help parents and caregivers navigate dental care options for their children.

1. Are you in a school district with a Mandated Dental Program (MDP) or a Dental Hygiene Services Program (DHSP)?

   Regardless of which program your school district participates in, there should be a Dentist of Record that you can consult with for referrals. If you have a DHSP, discuss with the Certified School Dental Hygienist the oral health needs of your students.

   The first step in assisting families to find dental care is working with your dentist of record. All school districts are required to identify a “dentist of record”; districts with a Mandated Dental Program can utilize a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner to complete the screenings and sign the forms. Refer to this form for more information on a PHDHP. These providers may already have a list created that you can provide to families.

2. Utilize the Pediatricians
   This includes the pediatrician of record within the school district and potentially referring families to their own family pediatrician. Pediatricians can have networks of dental professionals they can recommend. This is an opportunity to encourage families to discuss dental care during visits with their pediatricians for helpful referrals and advice. 
3. Create a Local Provider Network
   If the above is not available to you or the students, consider building a list of local dental providers. Creating a localized dental care referral guide.
4. Leverage Health Events
   Health awareness events are excellent opportunities to:
   1. Invite local dental professionals to speak to students and/or families
   2. Build relationships with providers who can address the dental needs of your school community

Printable Posters and Flyers: Display these around the school to remind students about the importance of brushing and flossing.

Keeping students and caregivers engaged in overall health is crucial. By taking these steps, you can empower students to prioritize overall health and provide them the opportunity to learn and understand health at a young age. 

Here are some examples of what you can do throughout the school year. 

• Start the conversations during health check-ups in the nurses office. You can learn a lot from these questions beyond their oral health.  

• Have you seen a dentist in the last year? 

• What have you been snacking on? 

• Are you drinking water? 

• Are you brushing your teeth every day? 

• School digital outreach strategies such as social media, apps, portals, text messages, and newsletters: Insert any of the resources found in the toolkit to your school’s newsletter templates or social media posts. Send reminders to visit a dentist for routine check-ups.  

• School wide activities and student engagement. 

• Below are some events you can incorporate at your school to foster student engagement and raise awareness. These events don’t need to focus solely on oral health, they can also highlight the connection between oral health and overall well-being. Create activities/newsletters/digital outreach based around these events. For instance, during Oral Cancer Awareness Month, activities could include anti-tobacco or nicotine campaigns, HPV education, and discussions about the oral health impacts of these factors. And National Nutrition Month, schools can emphasize the connection between nutrition and oral health. 

• February National Children’s Dental Health Month 
• March is National Nutrition Month – highlight how proper nutrition is related not only to overall health but preventing cavities  
• March 6th National Dentist’s Day – great opportunity to reach out to local providers to share school oral health needs and thank them for any support they can provide 

• March 20th World Oral Health Day 

• April Oral Cancer Awareness Month 

• 2nd week in April is Dental hygienist Appreciation week – another opportunity to bring oral health providers into your school and share oral health needs that they be able to support the school with.  

• National Smile Month (Mid May-Mid June) 
• June 23rd is National Hydration Day – highlight the importance of drinking water vs sugary beverages. Great chance to show the importance related to overall health, including cavity prevention.
  
• August 6th National Fresh Breath Day  

• November 1st National Brush Day  

Easily direct parents to additional resources by including QR codes in your communications.

Ready-to-use articles and tips for your weekly newsletters or emails to parents.

Informative resources for your to learn more about oral health and opportunities for continuing education. Please utilize all sections of this toolkit, including the parent section for educational materials.

Together, we can support PA Oral Health Plan and Healthy People 2030 Oral Health Objectives whiling making a significant impact on the oral health of children in our community. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to their well-being!

Curious to see if your local water is fluoridated: My water’s fluoride through the CDC can inform you about your water supply or Community Water Fluoridation Status in Pennsylvania through University of Pitt.