Healthy Nutrition Cookbook

Happy Teeth Healthy Smiles

Keeping children’s smiles healthy is important for their overall health and well-being. Baby (primary) teeth help children develop strong permanent teeth. And it’s easier for children with healthy teeth to learn in school, maintain strong bodies, feel good about themselves, and build lifelong healthy habits.

To help families learn about the importance of good oral health habits, the University of California Los Angeles’ More LA Smiles and Sesame Street in Communities developed five videos to make taking care of children’s oral health at home fun.

Four videos feature Grover, the dentist, and include

• Starting Early stresses the importance of age 1 dental visits.
• Brushy Book Nighty Night describes bedtime routines that include brushing.
• How Much Toothpaste? shows the right amount of toothpaste to use to brush children’s teeth.
• Tooth-Friendly Foods emphasizes drinking water and eating foods that help keep teeth and gums healthy.

The fifth video, Elmo’s Toothy Dance, features Elmo and his friends doing the “toothy dance” to teach children about brushing their teeth.

All the videos are available in English and Spanish.