School Nurses Initiative Reaches 30,000 Students

Every year, millions of students miss valuable learning opportunities due to dental disease, the most common chronic illness among children. For many families, a lack of awareness about oral health and barriers to care create a cycle of preventable problems that impact children’s health, education, and confidence throughout their lives.

At the heart of addressing this crisis are school nurses. They play an essential role in bridging the gap between children and the oral health education and care they need to thrive. From coordinating preventive programs to connecting families with community resources, school nurses are champions for healthier, brighter futures.

To help school nurses amplify their impact, this year we launched the School Nurse Oral Health Initiative with support from the Delta Dental Foundation. Through this program, resource kits were developed and distributed to 73 public schools in underserved communities across Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, reaching an incredible 30,000 elementary students and their families.

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These kits are designed to engage children with fun, practical tools that promote oral health. Each child received:

• A kit bag that doubles as a reusable dry-erase brushing chart to track daily habits
• A superhero-themed activity booklet to learn about oral health
• A bookmark with oral health tips
• An educational brochure with tips for the whole family
• A toothbrush and toothpaste

School nurses also received additional support, including:

• A dedicated website with downloadable educational resources
• Bilingual posters with oral health tips
• An engaging classroom video that teaches the importance of a healthy diet and proper dental hygiene
• Guidance on connecting families to safety-net dental providers

Porothea Dennis, a school nurse from Dayton Public Schools, shared how the initiative empowered her students at Edison Elementary: “The information [in the kits] is presented in a way that the children can utilize on their own. The activity booklet resonated with the students.”

Partnerships with school nurses have been a key part of expanding our reach. The connections we make through projects like this are invaluable. Each opportunity to work with educators helps us identify needs and meet them in the future.

The results are remarkable. Since introducing customized education resource kits and free, downloadable resources in 2020, we have seen tremendous growth in our educational impact. In our 2024 fiscal year alone, more than one million children and caregivers learned how to protect their smiles using these resources.

With every kit distributed, every child inspired, and every family educated, we continue to move closer to a future where no child suffers the pain or setbacks of preventable dental disease.

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Visit our Smile Guardian Program page to see how you can sponsor oral health education kits for underserved children in your community.