Across the United States, students miss up to 50 million hours of instruction annually due to dental disease. Many of these children are unaware of the causes of dental disease and how to prevent tooth decay. As a result, they often experience poor oral health throughout their lives, which can negatively impact their academic performance, self-esteem, job prospects, and overall well-being.
Students from Dayton Public Schools in Dayton, OH pose with the Oral Health Action HERO education kits that they received from America’s ToothFairy and the Delta Dental Foundation. 73 schools in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana received kits to teach 30,000 elementary students how to prevent tooth decay.
School nurses play a key role in increasing access to oral health education and care for children, which is especially important in regions of the country where families face substantial barriers to the dental services their children need to stay healthy. School nurses connect children and their caregivers with the resources they need to thrive, intervene when they identify a problem, help manage health services for children, and communicate with families, school staff, and healthcare providers.
School nurses also facilitate oral health screenings and prevention programs in schools across the country. However, they face overwhelming barriers such as high caseloads and a lack of resources to educate and facilitate oral health education and care for their students, especially those serving low-income and underserved populations.
To support the important work of school nurses, America’s ToothFairy developed the School Nurse Oral Health Initiative, which provides educational resources for public schools that serve children in underserved communities. With support from the Delta Dental Foundation, America’s ToothFairy connected with school nurses from Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio and developed special education resource kits to address the unique outreach needs of nurses from 73 public schools. Enough materials were produced to teach 30,000 elementary students and their families about oral health.
Each child received a polybag that doubles as a reusable, dry-erase brushing chart containing:
- an “Oral Health Action HERO” themed activity booklet,
- a bookmark with oral health tips,
- an educational brochure with oral health information for the whole family,
- a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Participating school nurses also received:
- a dedicated website with additional educational resources,
- bilingual posters with oral health tips,
- an educational video for elementary school classroom presentations that explains how diet and dental hygiene habits prevent dental diseases,
- information to link families in need to safety-net dental care providers.
“The information [in the kits] is presented in a way that the children can utilize on their own,” said Porotheo Dennis, a school nurse with Dayton Public Schools in Dayton, Ohio, who distributed the materials to students at Edison Elementary. “The activity booklet resonated with the students.”
“The connections we make through projects like this are invaluable,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “Each opportunity we get to partner with educators makes it easier to identify needs and meet them in the future.”
America’s ToothFairy has seen growth in its education impact each year since introducing customized education resource kits and a web page offering free, downloadable educational resources in 2020. During the organization’s 2024 fiscal year, which ended June 30, more than one million children and caregivers learned about oral health from the resources America’s ToothFairy provides.
To learn more about America’s ToothFairy and the impact of its educational programming, visit AmericasToothFairy.org.
About America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation
As a resource provider, America’s ToothFairy increases access to oral health care by supporting nonprofit clinics and community partners delivering education, prevention, and treatment services for underserved children. Since 2006, America’s ToothFairy has reached 16 million children and caregivers with oral health services and distributed millions in donated products, educational materials, and financial grants to improve oral health outcomes for children and youth in need. For more information, visit AmericasToothFairy.org.
About Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, serving as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. DDF is dedicated to developing and enhancing partnerships and programs to improve oral and overall health and health equity. For more information, visit www.deltadental.foundation.
