Ann Arbor, MI — May 1, 2008 — Parents seeking helpful information on dozens of oral health topics that affect their children can now find it on a new U-M School of Dentistry Web site. The Web site, www.dent.umich.edu/teachoralhealth/parents, was developed by a group of researchers from the U-M School of Dentistry and dental care providers.

“This new site builds upon our earlier work of creating a Web site to help kindergarten and elementary school teachers educate their students about good oral health care,” said Dr. Marita Inglehart, a psychologist and associate professor of dentistry who led the development of both Web sites. “This new Web site for parents, like the Web site for teachers, links to information from authoritative sources in the dental profession.”

Inglehart said when she and others were working to develop a special oral health care Web site for teachers, “many of the teachers who are parents, as well as parents who were in our focus groups, asked if there was a Web site that they, as parents, could check for authoritative and useful information. We weren’t aware of one, so we created this one,” she said.

The new dental Web site for parents contains oral health care information designed to help parents at various stages of a child’s growth and development. However, the site is one clinicians will find useful and helpful to mention to parents, Inglehart said.

Some of the topics addressed include the importance of dental care for newborns, teething and tooth eruption charts, how to keep a child’s teeth healthy, brushing, flossing, how to prepare a youngster for his or her first visit to the dentist, the importance of eating properly to maintain good oral health, and more. The Web site also has links that offer children opportunities to learn more.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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