Wednesday, February 5, 2020

OACHC 2020 Children's Dental Health Month


Did you know? Tooth decay is a pandemic public health condition that affects millions of people around the world, the majority of whom are school-aged children 1. In fact, one in four of Ohio Pre-Schoolers have already experienced at least one cavity 2
Are you prepared for a dental emergency? Thousands of dental emergencies—from injuries to a painful, abscessed tooth—take place every day knowing what to do can lessen the pain and save a tooth that might otherwise be lost. Keep your dental office phone number and an emergency number where the dentist can be reached after hours with other emergency numbers, such as your family doctor, and fire and police departments. 


Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) is a year-round children’s access to care and oral health education program. Dentists and dental professionals volunteer their time to provide screenings, treatments and oral health education to Ohio children. In 16 years of GKAS, Ohio dental volunteers have provided nearly $14.5 million of dental care to over 270,000 underserved children Almost $1.5 million was planned in dental education and care affecting over 39,000 children in 2019, making Ohio ranked No. 1 in the nation for the most events registered in 2019!

Teeth are meant to last a lifetime, and a healthy smile is important to a child’s self-esteem. With proper care, a balanced diet and regular dental visits, their teeth can remain healthy and strong.


1. Ijaz S, Marinho CC V, Croucher R, Onwude O, Rutterford C. Professionally applied fluoride paint-on solutions for the control of dental caries in children and adolescents. [revised 17 February 2010.

2. 2016-17 Survey of Preschool-Age Children Ohio Department of Health