The UNMC College of Dentistry, Nebraska Community Foundation and Nebraska DHHS Office of Oral Health and Dentistry partnered with the Nebraska Hospital Association to distribute 10,000 early dental health starter kits to new parents at no cost in hospitals across Nebraska.
The goal of the early dental health starter kits is to reduce dental disease in children. The kits are packed with unique oral hygiene items for children from birth to six years old and give parents access to an instructional video. The kits also emphasize the need for parents to establish a dental home for their children so they can receive continual dental disease prevention and education.
“The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) is proud to be a part of this important public health effort as oral and dental health are keys to overall physical health,” said Jeremy Nordquist, NHA president.
In the United States, over 25% of children aged three to five experience dental decay.
“Starting proper daily oral hygiene habits early in life is key to preventing dental disease in children,” said Dr. Charles F. Craft, the Nebraska State Dental Director for the Nebraska DHHS Office of Oral Health and Dentistry. “This is a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the oral health outcomes of young children across Nebraska.”
“We’re happy to partner with the College of Dentistry, the Nebraska Community Foundation and the Nebraska DHHS Office of Oral Health and Dentistry to deliver these early dental health starter kits to parents of newborns in our 92 member hospitals. The kits will be invaluable in educating new parents on how to protect their children’s oral health,” Nordquist said.
The College of Dentistry, Nebraska Community Foundation and Nebraska DHHS Office of Oral Health and Dentistry started the Nebraska Early Dental Health Starter Kit Educational Program in 2020. So far, over 50,000 early dental health starter kits have been distributed to parents across Nebraska.