Further Enquiries

Oral Health Promotion Clearinghouse
Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health
School of Dentistry
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
SA 5005
AUSTRALIA

Email: ohpch@adelaide.edu.au

Telephone: +61 8 8313 4045

Fax: +61 8 8313 4858

Children Programs

NSW Little Smiles: dental health resource package for childcare professionals

Aims or brief description: The package aims to assist childcare services across NSW to create an environment that is supportive of good dental health for children and their families.

Involved organisations: The University of Sydney, Macquarie University, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, National Childcare Accreditation Council, NSW Centre for Oral health Strategy, Area Health Services, Colgate Oral Care, TAFE NSW, Department of Community Services, Dietitian, Auburn Council, parents

Contact person for further information: Jennifer Noller - Jennifer_noller@wsahs.nsw.gov.au

Crunch&Sip® (South Australian)

Aims or brief descriptions: Crunch&Sip® is an initiative of Go for 2&5® and is being implemented across the public, Catholic and Independent in South Australian schools. The program aims to support schools to introduce a fruit and vegetable break, and the drinking of water in classrooms.

Findings: The program began in late January 2008, and has initially been funded for 3.5 years. The program will be introduced into schools in the latter half of 2008.

Involved organisations: SA Dental Service; Department of Health (Health Promotion branch); Department of Education and Children’s Services; Catholic Education; Association of Independent Schools South Australia; SA Fruit and Vegetable Coalition members.

Contact person for further information
Leanne Rana
Project Officer, SA Dental Service
180 Flinders Street, Adelaide SA 5000.
Phone (08) 8222 9115
Email: leanne.rana@health.sa.gov.au
Website link: www.crunchandsip.com.au

NSW Messages for a Healthy Mouth 2nd edn. (NSW Department of Health Program)

Aims or brief descriptions: NSW Messages for a Healthy Mouth includes clear and simple messages: Eat Well; Drink Well; Clean Well; Play Well; Stay Well. Oral health is an integral component of 'general' health and that promoting good health and preventing ill health is a shared responsibility between organisations, communities and individuals.

Involved organisations: Centre for Oral Health Strategy, NSW Department of Health

Contact person for further information
Ms Jennifer Noller
Email: Jennifer_noller@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Website link: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/healthy_mouth.html

Messages for a Healthy Mouth for Parents, Grandparents and Carers of School-aged Children (NSW Department of Health Program)

Aims or brief descriptions: NSW Messages for a Healthy Mouth for parents, grandparents and carers of school-aged children provides information to improve the oral health of children 5–12 years: Eat Well, Drink Well, Clean Well, Play Well and Stay Well.

Reports or publications from project
NSW Messages for a Healthy Mouth 2nd edn. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/healthy_mouth.html

Involved organisations: Centre for Oral Health Strategy, NSW Department of Health

Contact person for further information
Ms Jennifer Noller
Email: Jennifer_noller@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Website link: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/cohs/healthy_mouth_brochure_pdf.asp

Early Childhood Oral Health Guidelines (ECOH) for Child Health Professionals (NSW Department of Health Program)

Aims or brief descriptions: The aims of the ECOH Guidelines are to improve the health and wellbeing of children in NSW by integrating oral health into general health interventions provided by Child Health Professionals. The Guidelines add value to the Personal Health Record which includes basic oral health information for parents.

Reports or publications from project
Lift the Lip (NSW Department of Health) http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/cohs/lift_the_lip_A5_brochure_pdf.asp

Involved organisations: Centre for Oral Health Strategy, NSW Department of Health

Contact person for further information
Ms Claire Phelan
Centre for Oral Health Strategy NSW
1 Mons Rd, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
PO Box 533, Wentworthville NSW 2145, Australia
Phone: (011+61 2 8821 4313)
Fax: (011+61 2 8821 4302)
Email: claire_phelan@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Website link: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/GL/2009/GL2009_017.html

Lift the Lip (NSW Department of Health Program)

Aims or brief descriptions: An educational resource to complement the Early Childhood Oral Health Guidelines for Child Health Professionals (Guidelines) which aim to improve the health and wellbeing of children in NSW by integrating oral health into 'general' health interventions provided by Child Health Professionals.

Reports or publications from project
Early Childhood Oral Health Guidelines for Child Health Professionals http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/GL/2009/GL2009_017.html

Involved organisations: Centre for Oral Health Strategy, NSW Department of Health

Contact person for further information
Ms Claire Phelan
Email: claire_phelan@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Website link: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/cohs/lift_the_lip_A5_brochure_pdf.asp

Teach your baby to drink from a cup (NSW Department of Health Program)

Brief descriptions: Teach your baby to drink from a cup provides information to encourage parents to help their baby to give up the bottle and drink from a cup.

Publications from project:
NSW Messages for a Healthy Mouth 2nd edn.
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/healthy_mouth.html

Involved organisations: Sydney South West Area Health Service; Centre for Oral Health Strategy, NSW Department of Health

Contact person for further information
Ms Jennifer Noller
Centre for Oral Health Strategy NSW
1 Mons Rd, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
PO Box 533, Wentworthville NSW 2145, Australia
Phone: (011+61 2 8821 4312)
Fax: (011+61 2 8821 4302)
Email: Jennifer_noller@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Website link: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/cohs/drink_from_a_cup_pdf.asp

SA Dental Service Population Oral Health Project – Lift the Lip

Aims or brief descriptions
SA Dental Service implemented the Population Oral Health Project – Lift the Lip in response to the decline in children’s oral health. SA Dental Service is working collaboratively with Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service Nurses, GPs, Practice Nurses and Early Childhood Services to improve the early identification and referral of children experiencing Early Childhood Caries (decay).
A simple ‘Lift the Lip’ screening and referral tool is available to identify children (6 months – 5 years) with Early Childhood Caries.
A referral pathway has been developed for children identified with Early Childhood Caries to access the dental care they need either through public (School Dental Service) or the private dental sector.

This project has been systematically rolled out across the state.

Findings

Since the Commencement of the implementation of the Population Oral Health Project in May 2007:

200 CYWHS Nurses have attended training in Lift the Lip and oral health information
3 oral health Education Evenings (Continuing Professional Development) were held for 4 divisions of General Practice.
180 Practice Nurses have attended oral health updates and training, as part of the Medicare Healthy Kids Check
Midwives in public hospitals attended information sessions to raise awareness of the importance of oral health in pregnancy
SA Dental Service Staff have also been informed and trained

From the data collected (at the end of July 2009):

From May 07 – July 09 1,365 children haven been referred into the project
CYHWS Nurses have referred 85% of children
72.5% of children referred are aged 4 years.

Contact person for further information
Kerry Clifford, Project Manager, Ph: 08 8222 9014, kerry.clifford@health.sa.gov.au
Rachael Collins, GP Intervention Project Officer, Ph: 08 8222 9014, rachael.collins@health.sa.gov.au
Jane Taylor Matison, Project Officer, ph 08 8222 09057, jane.taylormatison@health.sa.gov.au
Cathy Nelson, Community Health Promotion Officer, ph 8222 9013, cathy.nelson@health.sa.gov.au

Reports or publications from project
A range of resources have been developed to support the project and can be found on the SA Dental Service website.

Involved organisations
Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service, Australian Dental Association- SA Branch, SA Divisions of General Practice, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Department of Health, State Health Regions, Department of Education and Children’s Services

Website link

http://www.sadental.sa.gov.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=195

Smiles 4 Miles Award Program

The Smiles 4 Miles Award Program is an initiative of Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) working in partnership with local organisations to improve the oral health of the youngest children in the community. Beginning in 2003-2004, the program is based on the World Health Organisation’s Health Promoting Schools Framework.
DHSV partners with a range of health organisations including local government, community health services and primary care partnerships. Their role is to provide support to early childhood services to achieve the Smiles 4 Miles award (for example, by proving training to early childhood staff). There are currently 31 funded sites participating in Smiles 4 Miles – these sites work within one to four local government areas.

What are the Smiles 4 Miles Award criteria?

The Smiles 4 MilesAward Program has four broad criteria which must be met to obtain the Smiles 4 Milesaward. The criteria relate to:

Nutrition and water policy review or development
Drink well and Eat well surveys
Curriculum activities supporting the key messages
Parent engagement activities

What are the Smiles 4 Miles key messages?

There are three key messages promoted through the Smiles 4 Milesprogram:

Drink well - tap water is the preferred drink, limit sugary and fizzy drinks and plain milk is preferable to flavoured.
Eat well - enjoy a variety of nutritious foods, limit sugary foods especially between meals and enjoy healthy snacks.
Clean well - brush twice a day with a low fluoride (children's) toothpaste, encourage flossing and develop good oral hygiene practices at an early age.

For further information, please visit www.dhsv.org.au or contact the health promotion team on email healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au

Smiling schools

The Smiling Schools project, undertaken in 2006–07, was a demonstration project that administered an oral health literacy survey to a sample of Victorian primary school children and their parents.

Eleven randomly selected schools consented to participating in this study. The parents of children in grades one, five and six each were invited to participate. Children in grades five and six were also invited to participate in the survey.

The aim of the project was to explore the oral health literacy of Victorian primary school children and their parents. The project also aimed to determine the relationships between oral health literacy, oral health practices and oral health knowledge and to examine population awareness of the key messages of the Oral Health Guidelines for Victorians (Department of Human Services Victoria 2003).

To view the Smiling Schools report visit www.dhsv.org.au