About
From the First Vision & Mission:
Vision: All children in Maine have access to quality oral health care.
Mission: To promote and support the integration of oral health into primary care for all children in Maine
The From the First Tooth Model
From the First Tooth (FTFT) is a Maine-based statewide children’s oral health initiative funded by the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine. FTFT aims to improve the oral health of Maine’s children from the eruption of a child’s first tooth up to age 21 by implementing an evidence-based preventive oral health approach in the medical home. Oral health is a part of overall health, so it is important for medical providers to play a key role in preventing childhood caries. FTFT encourages pediatricians and family medicine providers to incorporate the following steps into well-child visits:
- Oral health risk assessment
- Fluoride varnish application
- Parent/caregiver education
- Referrals to dental services
FTFT provides technical assistance to primary care practices interested in participating in the initiative. Technical assistance includes:
- Implementation assistance
- Medical Staff Training based on the Smiles for Life curriculum
- Risk Assessment and Oral Health Evaluation EMR Integration
- Materials for Parents and Caregivers (materials can be ordered here.)
Parents:
Parents can help their children by brushing their babies’ teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and asking for fluoride varnish applications at their babies’ medical and dental appointments. Children who receive fluoride varnish applications have less tooth decay than other children who do not receive fluoride varnish.
Tooth Eruption Chart
Between the ages of 6 and 12 years, your child will start losing baby teeth. During these years, your child’s smile will have both adult and baby teeth. When teeth fall out, they can fall out in any order.