A child’s oral health is a window into his/her overall health. Poor oral hygiene leads to tooth decay/cavities and gum disease in children and adults. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children. Gum disease is associated with an increased risk of health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, preterm and low birth weight babies, and other illnesses. Developing good oral health habits will help children get an early start on a lifetime of a healthy smile and a healthy body.
There are proven safe and effective preventive measures to protect children’s teeth and gums. Good daily oral hygiene, regular dental visits, getting dental sealants and fluoride treatments, drinking fluoridated water and avoiding sugary beverages can help improve and protect oral health. Children should be advised to not share toothbrushes or eat and drink after others to avoid oral bacteria from spreading.
Please explore the Public Health Dental Program’s initiatives to keep Florida children’s smiles healthy by clicking the links below.
Division of Community Health Promotion, Public Health Dental Program
The Public Health Dental Program leads the Department of Health’s efforts to improve and maintain the oral health of all persons in Florida. The Dental Program has four primary functions. It provides a statewide direction for policy related to oral health issues; it promotes and administers oral health education and preventive dental programs; it collects and analyzes data on oral health; and it supports the provision of direct dental care services through the County Health Departments (CHD) and other public and private organizations.
- Provides direction on oral health policy
- Researches and recommends policy change that can improve inequities in access to oral health care services in the state
- Facilitates collaborative efforts of statewide oral health stakeholders in relation to oral health policy
- Promotes cost-effective community and school-based oral health educational and preventive activities
- Supports school-based fluoride varnish and sealant programs
- Promotes and implements community water fluoridation for eligible communities throughout the state and monitors new and existing systems to maintain optimal fluoride levels
- Encourages early childhood caries preventive programs using non-dental staff
- Strives to integrate oral health into general health programs such as WIC, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, and Obesity programs
- Provides consultative and technical assistance to maternal and child health programs, school health programs, WIC programs, schools, state and federal government entities, community and professional organizations and private citizens
- Collects and analyzes statewide and local oral health data
- Monitors state and county oral health status, dental treatment needs, and utilization of dental services
- Facilitates the continued development of an integrated, coordinated oral health system between the public and private sectors
- Evaluates and promotes the development of efficient and effective programs
- Supports the provision of direct dental care services
- Promotes collaboration among statewide dental and other health care providers
- Provides consultative and technical assistance to state and professional organizations
- Provides technical assistance, evaluation, administrative support, and quality assurance guidance to CHD dental programs which include on-site facilities, mobile units, contractual arrangements and teledentistry
- Administers CHD categorical dental funding and administers dental contracts with a variety of public and private organizations
