Educational Materials and Information for Teachers

Under Revision! Dental FUNdamentals is a 170-page oral health instructional guide developed by the Bureau of Oral Health Services (BOHS) for teachers of grades K-6. It contains teacher content, lesson plans and resources.  Dental FUNdamentals is currently being revised and will soon be available through the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center.  Check this BOHS Web site for updates on its availability.

Operation T.A.C.T.I.C., (Teens Against Chewing Tobacco In the Community), is a comprehensive teaching module containing lesson plans and accompanying activities for primary, intermediate and secondary grades on the dangers of smokeless or spit tobacco. The module is available to purchase from the Ohio Dental Association.

The Bureau of Oral Health Services (BOHS) has developed a Dental First-aid Chart, that outlines the procedures for administering dental first aid following a head or mouth injury. This chart is important to display in classrooms, near the playground and in the school nurse's office.  Ohio day care licensing rules require that licensed day care facilities, including Head Start and Early Learning Initiative programs, post the Dental First-aid Chart in all classrooms.

School-based Dental Disease Prevention Programs

BOHS operates two dental disease prevention programs in Ohio schools. The following information may be helpful to teachers working in schools with these programs.

School-based Dental Sealant Program

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to permanent molar teeth to prevent the most common type of tooth decay (on the chewing surfaces of permanent molars). BOHS awards grant funds and assists local agencies with implementing and maintaining school-based dental sealant programs. During the 2007-08 school year, 16 programs funded by the Ohio Department of Health and four locally funded programs served schools in 43 counties.  For more information about sealants and school-based sealant programs including a map of counties that currently have programs, please visit Dental Sealants.

School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program

The School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program helps prevent tooth decay and is targeted primarily to elementary schools in nonfluoridated communities as well as those in very low-income areas. Once a week, students with parental consent swish a 0.2 percent solution of sodium fluoride in their mouths for one minute. About 180 schools participate. Please visit Fluoride Mouthrinse Program for more information.

Last Updated: 06/06/08

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