Healthy Smile Happy Child is making a difference in reducing Early Childhood Tooth Decay

It’s oral health month, and Healthy Smile Happy Child is doing some very important research to help prevent early childhood tooth decay. Healthy Smile Happy Child is a partnership that works with communities to prevent early childhood tooth decay. Last year, we celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary. The partnership shares important oral health information with communities across Manitoba and works with those communities to study oral health in young children.

Oral Health Studies

Healthy Smile Happy Child is currently working on four very important studies with Métis and First Nations communities.

The studies are looking at:

• Collecting plaque and saliva samples from children who do not have tooth decay, as well as those with early childhood tooth decay, to see if there are differences. This could help prevent tooth decay in the future.
• Including traditional oral health teaching in Healthy Smile Happy Child’s oral health promotion activities.
• Having non-dental health care providers use a tool to help children who are at risk for early childhood tooth decay connect to dental care.
• Studying whether the Canadian Dental Care Plan helps people get dental care.

All of these research projects will help to reduce the risk of tooth decay in young children.

If you are interested in participating, please contact 204-480-1351

Tips for Taking Care of Children’s Teeth

Keeping your child’s mouth clean is one important step in preventing early childhood tooth decay.

The following tips can help:

• Wipe baby’s gums. Wiping baby’s gums after each feeding, starting at birth with a clean and damp washcloth, is an important start to establishing an oral hygiene routine.
• Start brushing baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears. Use a small amount (the size of a grain of rice) of toothpaste with fluoride. When your child is old enough to spit, use a pea-size amount of toothpaste with fluoride.
• Brush baby teeth twice a day for two minutes.
• Take your child to visit the dental team for a check-up by the 1st birthday. As soon as the first tooth appears make an appointment to visit a dentist. Many dentists have a free first visit until the age of 3 years old.
• Help children brush their teeth until they are eight years old. Children need help getting all the surfaces of their teeth brushed until they have the coordination to do it themselves.

Did you know that you may be able to get dental insurance through the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

Individuals can apply if:

• They do not have private dental insurance.
• They have a family income of less than $90,000.
• They have filed their 2025 tax return.
• They are Canadian residents for tax purposes.
• If you receive the Canada Child Benefit for your child, YOU Qualify!

For information on how to apply, visit Canada.ca/dental
Remember to renew your coverage each year after filing your tax return!

For more information about taking care of young children’s teeth visit Healthy Smile Happy Child social media and website