RESOURCES FOR PROMOTING CONSUMPTION OF ORAL HEALTH-FRIENDLY SNACKS AND WATER INSTEAD OF SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES
What we eat and drink has a big impact on our bodies, including our teeth. Below are resources to use at school, work and home to help promote snacks and beverages that are oral health friendly.
These resources will help parents who wish to learn how to help keep their children’s teeth healthy, and to take on leadership roles in their communities.
- Poster “Drinking Water Availability in Schools. How Can You Help?”
- "Parents Making Waves" is a toolkit for parents to promote consumption of water in schools
- From the American Academy of Pediatrics – How to Prevent Tooth Decay in Your Baby.
- Tasty Treats for Teeth - Healthy Recipes; Kid Tested, Dentist Approved!
- Keep Your Child's Smile Healthy by Knowing What's in Their Cup! Healthy drinks, Healthy smiles.
- Water, Water, Everywhere! – Tips and information from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard
Staff may find these resources useful for educating the program-wide community: children and their families, teachers, caregivers, and other staff members (e.g., those involved in meal preparation).
- “Increasing Access to Drinking Water in Early Care and Education Settings” Toolkit
- Tasty Treats for Teeth - Healthy Recipes; Kid Tested, Dentist Approved!
- "Potter the Otter: Reach for Water when Thirsty" classroom lesson plan
- "Happy Teeth, Healthy Smiles" classroom lesson plan
- "Water First" – a toolkit for promoting water intake in community settings
- Water, Water, Everywhere! – tips and information from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard
School staff may find these resources useful for educating the school-wide community: students and their families, cafeteria workers, teachers and other staff members.
- “Increasing Access to Drinking Water in Early Care and Education Settings” Toolkit
- Tasty Treats for Teeth - Healthy Recipes; Kid Tested, Dentist Approved!
- “Smart Snacks for Healthy Teeth” – Colgate Oral Care Center (may be used for older kids in Oral Health Education classes)
- "Happy Teeth, Healthy Smiles" classroom lesson plan (may be used for younger kids)
- "Potter the Otter: Reach for Water when Thirsty" classroom lesson plan (may be used for younger kids)
- "Water First" – a toolkit for promoting water intake in community settings
- Water, Water, Everywhere! – tips and information from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard
- Sip All Day, Get Decay – interesting resources for older students
These resources will support workplace wellness programs by providing information for use at different events (such as “lunch and learn” sessions); they will help promote behaviors that will incorporate oral-health friendly behaviors into the worksite culture.
- Delta Dental Workplace Oral Health Wellness – Comprehensive web resource that includes nutrition tips
- “Smart Snacks for Healthy Teeth” – Colgate Oral Care Center
- "Water First" – a toolkit for promoting water intake in community settings
- ADA’s Mouth Healthy – 4 Reasons Why Water is Good for your Teeth – a short read about the benefits of drinking water, from an oral health standpoint
- “Today” article about excessive seltzer/sparkling water consumption
- Foods for Healthy Teeth – resources in multiple languages
- "Potter the Otter" – E-book in English and Spanish that encourages kids to choose water as the drink of choice
- Oral Health brochures in multiple languages – From the Colorado Department of Public Health
- Drinks Destroy Teeth - Healthy Drinks Brochure in Spanish
- "Rethink Your Drink" – Brochures in multiple languages from the Minneapolis Health Department
For additional resources for speakers of other languages, please contact the following organizations or individuals:
- Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV) – This non-profit organization serves not only Africans, but all refugees in Vermont including Bhutanese, Burmese, Iraqis, and others
- Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program – “Part of a nationwide network that breaks through social, cultural, and economic barriers so previously interrupted lives can flourish.”
- Pari Motia, Public Health Dental Hygienist in the Burlington Local Health Office
- Julie Springer, Champlain Valley Head Start Health Services Coordinator