Governor John Hickenlooper recently made children’s oral health one of Colorado’s 10 winnable battles over the next five years. This is an important goal because oral disease can negatively impact a child’s performance in school, speech development, nutrition, self-esteem and sleep.

To help inform this winnable battle, three foundations – The Colorado Trust, Caring for Colorado Foundation and the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation – jointly issued a new brief, Improving the Oral Health of Colorado’s Children. Written by Diane Brunson, RDH, MPH, Director of Public Health, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, the brief details:

• the causes of oral disease,
• multiple prevention strategies,
• significant challenges in access to oral health care, and
• strategies for improving the oral health of Colorado children.

In addition to the brief, a two-page Executive Summary provides a high-level overview for policymakers.