Children’s Oral Health Initiative

About COHI

The Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI) is an early childhood tooth decay prevention program designed for First Nations children ages 0 to 7, their caregivers and pregnant individuals living and/or accessing services in First Nations communities. The goal of the program is to improve oral health and well-being through education, early intervention and prevention. The COHI initiative seeks to improve accessibility by offering programs, services and resources to support First Nations families in BC in accessing regular oral health care.

Read BC’s First Nations and Aboriginal Oral Health Strategy: Healthy Smiles for Life

COHI in Communities

What are the COHI services?

COHI services include an annual dental screening by a COHI Provider, fluoride varnish applications, sealants and temporary fillings, Silver Diamine Fluoride application, referrals for dental treatment, as well as one-on-one or group oral health education sessions.

How is the COHI program administered?

These services are delivered in First Nations communities by a designated COHI Provider (a dental professional) and a COHI Aide. The COHI Aide is most often a community member who acts as an essential link between the oral health provider and the community. They act as oral health Knowledge Keepers in the community and work collaboratively with the COHI Provider to deliver COHI services.

COHI services are provided in over 80 First Nations communities throughout BC. COHI prevention and promotion activities include presentations to groups such as Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve and Healthy Babies, and to daycares and preschools. COHI also participates in community events such as health fairs, career fairs and Elder lunches.

To find out if COHI is available in your community, contact your local health center or community health representative.

Resources

General oral health

• Oral Health 101 (guide)
• Seal in that Smile! (mini-poster)

Oral care

• Tooth Brushing Tips for Parents (fact sheet)
• Brushing Morning & Night (children’s activity)
• How to Use Disclosing Tablets (mini-poster)
• Does Your Child Need Fluoride Varnish? (fact sheet)
• Silver Diamine Fluoride for Cavity Prevention (fact sheet)

Babies and infants

• Healthy Teeth & Infant Feeding (fact sheet)
• Bottle Feeding (tracking chart)
• Protect Your Baby’s Teeth (fact sheet)
• 3 Ways to Protect Your Baby’s Smile (fact sheet)
• Lift the Lip (fact sheet)
• Tips For Teething (fact sheet)
• Teeth at Two (fact sheet)

Healthy eating and nutrition

• A Guide to Your Baby’s First Foods (guide)
• Food is Medicine Recipe Book (guide)
• Nutrition and Oral Health (guide)
• Building Supportive Environments For Oral Health & Healthy Eating (guide)
• Raising Good Eaters (fact sheet)
• Eating Routine for Young Children (children’s activity)
• Recipes for Elders and Children to Make Together (children’s activity)
• Creating Healthy Lunches (fact sheet)
• My Favorite Snacks (children’s activity)
• Best Choices for Drinks at Home (fact sheet)
• Providing Healthy Drinks (fact sheet)
• Chew Your Juice! (fact sheet)

Pregnancy

• Pregnancy & Oral Health (fact sheet)

Elders

• Oral Care for Elders (fact sheet)

The importance of COHI

COHI supports and encourages families to make oral health and oral care a regular part of family life.COHI providers and COHI aides help communities understand the important role they play in keeping children’s teeth healthy through knowledge-sharing and education. The success of COHI is dependent on the active participation of community leaders and members in building community capacity for healthy smiles.

Dental health resources

• Brush Up On Baby’s Teeth: 12-Month Visit (Interior Health info sheet)
• Fluoride Varnish Program (Northern Health brochure)
• The First Visit (First Nations Health Council video)
• Healthy Snack Guide (Interior Health info sheet)
• Lift the Lip (Vancouver Coastal Health brochure)
• Pregnancy and Oral Health (Health Canada info sheet)
• Preventing Early Childhood Tooth Decay: Does Your Child Need Fluoride Varnish? (Health Canada info sheet)
• Re-Think What You Drink (Interior Health info sheet)
• Snackmaster (Interior Health info sheet)
• What Can I Do When My Child Won’t Cooperate with Toothbrushing? (Interior Health info sheet)
• You Decide What to Provide (Health Canada info sheet)