At the Forum: Participant Comments

Topic I:
Nutrition and Oral Health

• More research is needed on the cultural habits of families, so that the approach for implementing the nutrition recommendations can be tailored to each culture.
  
• There may be challenges in implementing the recommendations; however there are many important steps programs can take. Some strategies include-
  • disseminating information to staff and parents, (i.e., educating pregnant women about good nutrition and its effect on their own and their child's oral health),
  • establishing or strengthening community partnerships with WIC, Title V programs, and dental associations, and
  • revising policies and procedures that reflect the recommendations are important steps programs can take.

Topic 2:
Prevention, Suppression, and Management of Caries

• Education about preventing caries is still a viable option in Head Start.
  
• Educational approaches for both staff and parent education include use of-
  • non-print media such as videos or CD-ROMs,
  • educational kiosk programs,
  • parent delivered education, and
  • community access cable channels.
• Adults should be helped to overcome their own fear of dentists.
  
• The feasibility of the recommendations is affected by culture and special family circumstances.
  

Topic 3:
Access to Dental Care for Head Start Enrollees

• Working with the local dental community to obtain direct services and access for families is a winning strategy. Programs can involve medical professionals in observing dental health needs, and can develop a tip sheet of key points that staff can discuss when making contact with medical and dental providers.
  
• Parents are key players in ensuring dental care for their children. Programs should work with employers to allow personal leave for parents when taking their children to the dentist. Encouraging parents to take children to the dentist by age one is a strong message about the importance of dental care.
  
• Head Start staff should be given the tools to promote oral health. Programs should ensure that staff understands and implements the Performance Standards for dental services, including payment and follow through.
  
• Oral health needs a higher profile. Programs should prepare and deliver frequent, consistent messages to parents about oral health.
  
• The Head Start community can influence system and policy changes, such as incentives to work in rural areas, allowing dental hygienists to perform some procedures,
  and changing Medicaid claims forms to make them less cumbersome.