| Oral health is
important to a child's overall health. The National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center recently
developed a free online training program to help school
nurses and others promote oral health to children and
their families.
"Open Wide: Oral
Health Training for Health Professionals" provides tools
to help school nurses actively fight tooth decay in their
students.
The program
includes four modules. Each takes 20-40 minutes to
complete. Modules cover:
- Tooth
decay: What causes tooth decay, how it can spread,
and health problems that result from it.
- Risk
factors for tooth decay: What groups are at highest
risk, how parents can affect their children's risk
factors, and foods that promote (or inhibit) tooth
decay.
- Prevention
of tooth decay: What are appropriate practices in
oral hygiene and healthy eating, as well as information
about fluoridation and sealants.
- What to do
and how to do it: Steps school nurses can take to
prevent or reduce tooth decay risk in students, how to
conduct oral health risk assessments and screenings, how
to record oral health information on a child's health
record, and how to promote oral health to children and
families.
To access the
program, go to
www.mchoralhealth.org/OpenWide/index.htm.
The National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center helps
states and communities address public oral health issues.
It supports health professionals, program administrators,
educators, policymakers, and others with the goal of
improving oral health services for infants, children,
adolescents, and their families. |
