February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a vital campaign designed “to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their parents and caregivers, teachers and many others.” And, this Friday, February 26, 2021, Community Action Head Start & Early Head Start will present its latest Health Café titled “Oral Health During the Pandemic.”
According to research from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other public health agencies, tooth decay in the form of caries (cavities) has become the most prevalent disease in children five years of age or younger. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this trend and created significant delays in proper dental care, particularly for families and children receiving Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. As such, young kids whose dental problems may have easily been addressed in a routine visit to the dentist have gotten worse and will ultimately require more significant treatment.
“Oral Health During the Pandemic,” will discuss oral health care strategies for pre-school children, how the pandemic has impacted dental health outcomes among our youngest citizens, and how to ensure that children can safely access appropriate dental health during these difficult times. To participate in this free virtual event, which will take place this coming Friday, February 26, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm CST, please access this Zoom link. The Meeting ID for this event is: 958 9176 3851; and the Passcode is: Gs7%1T. For more information about our Health Café and future offerings in this series, see below.
About Health Café
Community Action’s Head Start & Early Head Start’s Health Café is a bi-monthly virtual initiative designed at engaging early education and childcare professionals, parents, caregivers, and the larger community on critical health issues that, in particular, affect low-income households and members of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and immigrant/refugee communities.
Future Health Cafés
Future Health Cafés will cover such topics as second-hand exposure to smoke, vector-born diseases (caused by ticks, mosquitos, mice), summer safety, and regular COVID-19 related updates. Community Action Head Start &Early Head Start will also be sponsoring virtual meetings on COVID-19 vaccinations targeted to specific cultural communities and in languages including Oromo, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. Future schedules and additional information on Health Café topics will be updated on the Working Together Blog and Community Action’s social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter).
