September 11, 2019

Oral Health and Early Literacy Concerns Continue to Grow in Ohio-New Tools for Your Practice will Help!

A 2019 study on childhood toothbrushing habits published by the CDC found that “nearly 80% of children aged 3–15 years began toothbrushing at greater than 1 year of age, and one-third of children brushed only once daily.” The study recommends that healthcare providers – including pediatricians – can play an active role in improving oral health for patients through increased discussion of the importance of proper toothbrushing beginning at the first tooth eruption.

The Ohio AAP is addressing this growing concern through Regional Education and Quality Improvement opportunities this fall as part of the Brush, Book, Bed (BBB) Pilot Program. BBB is a program designed to improve discussions with families on three important health topics: oral health, early literacy, and sleep routines. Learn more about how you can become involved below, or contact Hayley Southworth at hsouthworth@ohioaap.org.

Regional Trainings:

Brush, Book, Bed Regional Trainings will be held in this fall, and include education on the BBB topics, as well as demonstrations of fluoride varnish application. Trainings are free and open to all Ohio healthcare providers. 5 points of MOC Part II and 5 hours of CME credit are available for participants in these trainings. Click here to register now

Trainings will be held from 1:30 – 4:30 pm on:

  • October 9, 2019 – In Person: Dayton Children’s Hospital, Auditorium
  • November 13, 2019 – Webinar
  • November 13, 2019 – In Person: Ohio University, Athens

Quality Improvement Program:

The Ohio AAP is recruiting a limited number of practices for the BBB Pilot to engage in a quality improvement (QI) project. All practices will receive books and oral health materials to distribute to patients. Feedback will be collected by participating practices to determine the impacts of this program and opportunities for additional oral health and early literacy efforts. The BBB Pilot is supported by the HealthPath Foundation, the Delta Dental Foundation and the Ohio AAP.

Please complete the form at the bottom of http://ohioaap.org/brushbookbed if you are interested in receiving more information on available resources and the BBB Pilot.


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This page is for practice managers and office employees to discuss issues they’re experiencing in their practices. Many problems that we hear about can help other practices, so we invite you to share best practices by posting issues and by responding to issues other practices are experiencing. This page is monitored by the Ohio AAP. Advice and opinions expressed on these discussion boards are the views of the poster and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio AAP. If you have any issues, questions, or feedback, please contact Melanie Farkas.