Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health

Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health (1996) is the first volume in the Bright Futures in Practice series. This guide addresses the oral health needs of children and adolescents from birth to age 21 by presenting specific guidelines on current oral health promotion and disease prevention and other preventive strategies and tools.

Chaired by Paul Casamassimo, D.D.S., M.S., Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health is designed for health professionals and educators, including dentists, dental hygienists, physicians, nurses, dietitians, teachers, and child care providers. The information in this guide can also be adapted for use with families.

Download Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health as PDF files.

Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health can be used to

	Inform families and health professionals about the essentials of oral health, including oral development, dental caries, periodontal disease, malocclusion, tobacco use, and injury
	Identify the services that infants, children, and adolescents need for improved oral health
	Develop and implement oral health programs
	Train health professionals and students

Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health is based on several innovations. The guide

	Introduces the concepts of individualized, cost-effective risk assessment and measurable educational, behavioral, and physical health outcomes as integral to oral health supervision
	Emphasizes the contribution and partnership of dental professionals, other health professionals, and families in oral health supervision in an attempt to foster coordination, cooperation, and cost-effectiveness in oral health care delivery
	Stresses the importance of early oral health intervention for children, beginning with prenatal counseling and the scheduling of a dental visit by the child's first birthday

To learn more about Bright Futures in Practice: Oral Health contact us.

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center responds to the needs of states and communities in addressing current and emerging public oral health issues. The resource center performs a variety of services, including providing tailored responses to information requests, and developing and disseminating publications such as fact sheets and resource guides in print and electronic formats.