Happy Tooth Program

How to Join the Happy Tooth Program

Who Can Participate?

We Will Provide:

Teacher Responsibilities:

Announcements & Press Releases

Tips for a Healthy Smile

Brush your teeth two times a day Floss your teeth once a day Eat healthy food Limit snacking Visit your dentist two times a year Drink fluoridated water Wear a mouth guard when playing sports Only put water in a baby's bottle at bedtime

Everyone should go to the dentist for a check up at least once a year. Don't wait until you have pain or problems. 

What You Need to Know:

• Not all dentists work with children. Read the ads in the Yellow Pages under Dentists to find one that will accept children. Call them and ask if they will accept Medi-Cal. If they won't, try another one. Each dentist opens and closes to new patients at different times.

If you have Medi-Cal you may be eligible for dental care under the "Denti-Cal" program. If you currently have Denti-Cal call 1-800-322-6384 to locate a dentist in your area or call a dentist directly and ask if they take Medi-Cal. 

You can also call Denti-Cal if you have questions about what is covered or have concerns about the dental care you receive. When calling, have your social security number, telephone number and street address available.

Dental care is also provided to low-income members of our community
through two nonprofit dental clinics. Dientes Community Dental Clinic and Salud Para La Gente are full service clinics that provide access to care for patients with Denti-Cal or those who have no insurance at all.

• Salud Para La Gente at 831-763-3413 - http://saludparalagente.org/

• Dientes Community Dental Clinic at 831-464-5409 - http://dientes.org/

• Invisible germs called plaque live in your mouth all the time.
• Sharing toothbrushes, utensils, cups, and pre-testing food can pass plaque.
• Plaque forms a sticky layer on the surface to the teeth.
• When you put sugar in your mouth, the plaque is able to convert it into acids.
• These acids are powerful enough to dissolve the hard enamel that covers your teeth.
• Keep in mind that gooey or sticky sweets spend more time sticking to the surface of your teeth.
• Because sticky and sugary snacks stay in your mouth longer than foods that you quickly chew and swallow, they give your teeth a longer exposure to the acids.
• Every time you eat a sticky and sugary snack the plaque acids continue to affect your teeth for at least 20 minutes before they are neutralized and can't do any more harm.
• The more times you eat sugary snacks during the day, the more often you are feeding the germs the energy they need to cause cavities.
• It is important to brush your teeth well with fluoride toothpaste after you eat sweets.
• There are many tasty, filling snacks that are less harmful to your teeth than foods loaded with sugars and low in nutritional value.
• Eating the right foods can help protect your teeth from the plaque and cavities.

Create Bean and Veggie Burritos Whole Grain Crackers with Cheese Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches Cheese and Fruit Kabobs Scrambled Eggs with Veggies Bean Spread with Corn Tortillas Apple and Tuna Sandwiches Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach and Zucchini Apple and Oatmeal	Bake Top Pizza with Veggies Banana Bread Carrot Bread Corn Bread Tortilla and Cheese Whole Grain Breads, Rolls, Cereals & Crackers
Crunch Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds Soy Nuts Mix Nuts and Dried Fruit Pears, Apples Broccoli, Celery, Carrots Cucumbers	Munch Fresh Fruit Canned Fruits in Natural Juices Apple Sauce Cottage Cheese Yogurt Custard Cheese Tuna Salad Egg Salad Chicken Salad Popcorn
Drink Fruit Smoothies Non-Fat Milk Soy Milk Water 100% Unsweetened Fruit Juice Carrot Juice Tomato Juice

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

• American Dental Association (ADA)

• American Dental Hygienist Association

• California Dental Association Foundation

• Childrens Dental Care:
  • A Healthy Mouth for Your Baby 
  • Children's Dental Health Project
  • Colgate Oral Health Center: Caring for Infant Teeth
  • Colgate Oral Health Center: What are Cavities
  • Dental Visit Information
  • FAQ: Infants and Children
  • KidsHealth for Parents
  • MedlinePlus Health Information
  • Quiz for Parents: Simple Steps for Kids’ Smiles
• Crest Dental ResourceNet - Patient education materials
• Early Childhood Tooth Decay

• Low Cost Dental Clinics:

  • Dientes Community Dental Clinic at - http://dientes.org/

  • Salud Para La Gente - http://saludparalagente.org/

• National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
• National Resource Center: Dental Care
• Nutrition
  • California Project Lean - Promoting physical activity and nutrition
  • Diet and Snacking
  • Dole 5 A Day - Great nutritional resources and recipes (in Spanish too!)
  • Food and Nutrition Information Center
  • Nutrition Education for New Americans Project - Great multi-cultural based dental educational materials
  • Nutrition Network News
  • Snack Smart for Healthy Teeth
  • Too Much Fruit Juice Not a Good Thing
• Save Your Smile.com - Great information about children's teeth
• Tooth Fairy Online