Neb. agency launches kids' toothbrush initiative

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Oral Health and Dentistry has launched Take Home Toothbrush, a new program to deliver vital dental supplies to 6,600 children across the state.

The program promotes good oral health practices to children enrolled in the 195 Head Start and Early Head Start programs from the classroom to their homes. The goal is to reduce the prevalence of dental cavities and other oral problems in low-income youth by sending home toothbrushes and toothpaste quarterly to Head Start enrollees, according to the agency.

In 2009, Nebraska's DHHS received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to find ways to improve dental care for children younger than 8 years old, including the Take Home Toothbrush program.

The program hopes to remedy the severe disparities in oral health services by working to overcome the effects of uneven distribution of dentists across Nebraska. Presently, 53 of Nebraska's 93 counties have either inadequate or nonexistent access to dental care. According to a report of the Nebraska Dental Workforce Committee, the two most populated counties in Nebraska, Douglas and Lancaster, account for 56% of the dental workforce, creating per capita values much higher than the rest of the state.

"Every child at Head Start brushes their teeth at least once a day during school hours and we are impressed with Head Start's dedication to improving the oral health of young children," said Kären Sorenson, DDS, dental director for the Office of Oral Health and Dentistry. "We want to be sure that the children have sufficient supplies at home so that every child can continue brushing their teeth at home."

The Nebraska Rural Health Advisory Commission has designated 53 counties in the state as dental health professional shortage areas. As of April 2008, 20 counties reported having no dentist, and an additional 32 counties have only one or two dentists.