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It takes a whole community to create the change needed to reduce childhood caries.  Progress towards eradicating childhood caries can be done in the following ways:
-Prevention through education by non-dental providers.
-School programs that provide healthier choices, provide mobile services, and providing oral hygiene instructions.
-Dental providers being actively involved in the community and with legislation.

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Taking a politic stance to increase access to care and petitioning for education-based programs is imperative in creating change.  Membership dues to be a part of the American Dental Association and American Dental Hygiene Association help to lobby for dental issues that affect society.

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There are community-based programs that have dental volunteers provide dental check-ups, oral hygiene instruction, and sealants to those that do not have access to care in dental offices.  Give Kids a Smile has served over 5 million children since 2003 (ADA Foundation, 2016).

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VS American | Evan Edinger & Meowitslucy

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Nova Southeastern University Overview Video

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Nova Southeastern University 's College of Dental Medicine

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Nova Southeastern University Transfer Video

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Give Kids A Smile at Nova Southeastern University (Feb 2015)

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Gives Kids A Smile (GKAS) is a program that provides free dental care to children one day each year. Nova Southeastern University had it's largest turnout this year with approximately 320 kids receiving dental care valued at more than $110,000. 1000 attendees with 250 volunteers.

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School wellness programs, headed by volunteer dentists and hygienists, promote and educate faculty, children, and parents on oral hygiene.  In order to increase access to care, mobile services that provide school children in under served areas with check-ups and dental sealants reduce that barrier to care (Bertness, Holt, & Barzel, 2016).

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School age children are highly susceptible to caries, especially those of a lower socioeconomic class. Children of a lower socioeconomic class have a diet higher in low nutrient-dense foods; thus, contributing to a higher caries rate (Mobley, Marshall, Milgrom, &Coldwell, 2009).  Subsidized programs allow schools to provide healthy breakfast and lunch for school children.

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Contra Caries is an interactive class designed for and by Spanish speakers and led by community health educators (Hoeft, Barker, Shiboski, Pantoja-Guzman, & Hiatt, 2016).  This program incorporates the use of a language that is considered second in the United States, but a primary to a large percentage of the population affected by childhood caries.

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Non-dental providers are usually the first to encounter early childhood caries, and can be seen as the first stop in prevention.  These are obstetricians, pediatricians and their staff, and community programs that educate parents and children. The following video discusses how medical professionals can assist in prevention.

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Healthcare Providers: Age 1 Dental Exams Are Critical

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Tooth decay, or early childhood caries (ECC), is the number one childhood illness in the United States. Pediatric dentists cannot stop this epidemic alone, and it is not easily managed if caries, or cavities, have already occurred. Prevention is the best choice when it comes to tooth decay.

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There are several countries that offer low cost or free dental services.  However, there is still a substantial amount of early childhood decay, especially amongst lower socioeconomic classes (Hoffmeister, Moya, Vidal, & Benadof, 2016).  Aiming to provide free or low cost dental services in the United States is not sufficient in reducing childhood caries; rather, increasing parental and patient oral knowledge by non-dental providers, school systems, and dental providers is most effective in caries reduction.

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Early childhood caries affects eating, sleeping, and emotional wellbeing  (Acharya & Tandon, 2011). Below is a video on how dental decay affects a child.

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Dr. Smith desires to raise awareness amongst Healthcare Professionals and any individuals working closely with children about the importance of early detection and prevention of childhood caries. The core message of the trailer will explain that childhood caries could lead to "toxic stress", slow or abnormal brain development, diabetes, obesity and decreased social skills.

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Dental caries is a preventable disease that has been increasing in prevalence and affects the child on multiple levels.  Since the '90's, there has been an increase in tooth decay (National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, 2014).  In this day in age, the common source of this increase is the high sugar and acidic diet present as well as the lack of preventive care.