Resources for Families, Schools & Worksites

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