Since tooth decay is nothing to smile about, Sesame Street has launched “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me” to give preschoolers and their families the tools to practice good oral health for life.
Dental caries (tooth decay) is one of the most common health problems impacting young children’s primary teeth.[1] In fact, nearly 40-to-50 percent of children will be affected by tooth decay before age five [2] and according to the latest Surgeon General’s report, Oral Health in America, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related conditions.[3] In response to these facts, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in partnership with Sam’s Club Giving Program and MetLife Foundation, has developed Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me, a bilingual (English/Spanish), multimedia outreach initiative motivating children 2 to 5 years of age, their parents, and caregivers to care for children’s dental health. The 350,000 free outreach kits are being distributed nationwide and are also available at www.sesamestreet.org/teeth. Healthy Teeth, Health Me features brand new songs, animated segments and celebrity guests Bruno Mars, David Hyde Pierce, Nicole Kidman, Amy Ryan, Wendy Williams, Jay Sean, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber.
[1] . CDC. (2005). Surveillance for dental caries, dental sealants, tooth retention, edentulism, and enamel fluorosis, United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2002. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/
[2] Pierce, K.M., et. al. (2002). Accuracy of pediatric primary care providers’ screening and referral for early childhood caries. Pediatrics, 109(5).
[3] . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 2000.
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