Maternal and Child Health Nurses
The Maternal and Child Health Service plays a critical role in promoting healthy outcomes for children, including oral health. The information below provides an overview of some of the programs and resources available to maternal and child health nurses to support their work in promoting good oral health in early childhood.
Oral health promotion programs
Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles
Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles is a Dental Health Services Victoria initiative aimed at improving the oral health of Victorian children aged 0–3 years and pregnant women. Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles has been working with the Maternal Child Health sector for over 20 years and offers a range of training and resources to support your practice.
Resources for you
Baby teeth count too! Oral health workshops and online training
Baby teeth count too! is designed to support Maternal and Child Health Nurses to promote oral health and complete ‘lift the lip’ oral health checks during Key Ages and Stages visits. The CPD course is available as an in-person or virtual workshop delivered by our Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles team, or as a 2-hour online self-paced eLearning module.
Click here to access our online course or contact the Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles Team to discuss a workshop for your service.
Download and share our Baby teeth count too! Online oral health training flyer
Oral health milestones and key messages
This is a quick guide of the oral health milestones you may see at Key Ages and Stages visits, and what messages to engage families with around oral health.
Read Oral Health Milestones and Key Messages (A4)
Oral Health Milestones and Key Messages (A5)
TEETH: Oral Health Information for Maternal and Child Health Nurses
A resource to assist Maternal and Child Health Nurses in their health promotion, prevention, early detection and intervention role.
Read TEETH: Oral Health Information for Maternal and Child Health Nurses
Little Teeth Book
A parent engagement resource to support oral health promotion with clients during Key Ages and Stages visits
Resources for your clients
Tooth tips 0–12 months fact sheet
Supports delivery of the oral health components of the Key Ages and Stages framework.
Tooth tips 12–18 months fact sheet
Supports delivery of the oral health components of the Key Ages and Stages framework.
Tooth tips 18 months - 6 years
Supports delivery of the oral health components of the Key Ages and Stages framework.
Deadly Tooth Tips - 3x posters (A4)
Deadly Tooth Tips - social media toolkit
Toothbrushing chart - colouring-in version
Checking for tooth decay fact sheet
Keeping Teeth Healthy 0-5 years
Caring for gums and teeth 0-6 years
Toothbrushing with your baby (0-18 months) YouTube videos - in 15 languages
Toothbrushing with your toddler or pre-schooler (18 months-6 years) - in 15 languages
Parents talk toothbrushing with young children YouTube video
Tooth Brushing - apps and videos
DHSV does not endorse these products but recognises their role in assisting parents with children teeth brushing
Useful links
People without fluoride in their drinking water
The Australian Dietary Guidelines and Infant Feeding Guidelines
DHSV is a content partner with the Better Health Channel and Raising Children Network. More information about oral health can be found at these websites. Use the search terms ‘teeth’ or ‘dental’.
