National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety
Dental Hygienist Liaison Project
Because of the importance of oral health during pregnancy and early childhood, in 2011 the National Center on Health, working in partnership with the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), created the Dental Hygienist Liaison (DHL) project. Under the DHL project, one dental hygienist from each state volunteers to help promote oral health for pregnant women and children enrolled in Head Start. The DHL project continues as part of the Office of Head Start currently funded through the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS). The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center is the project lead for NCHBHS oral health activities and works in partnership with ASTDD, which coordinates the DHL project.
Role of the Dental Hygienist Liaison
DHLs promote oral health in Head Start by:
- Providing a communication link between NCHBHS and Head Start agencies in their states
- Collaborating with state organizations such as oral health programs, Head Start collaboration offices, and Head Start Association offices
- Providing oral health presentations at state conferences and meetings
- Offering strategies to improve access to oral health care for pregnant women and children enrolled in Head Start
- Working with oral health professionals to establish partnerships with local Head Start programs to provide staff education and training
- Sharing information about the importance of oral health and regular oral health visits, good nutrition and oral hygiene practices, and oral-injury-prevention strategies with Head Start program staff
- Serving on Head Start state-level committees (e.g., Head Start health manager networks) and state-level oral health advisory boards and coalitions to promote the oral health of Head Start participants
DHL Resources
Information about DHL Project
- State DHL and Regional DHL Coordinators Roster
- Dental Hygienist Liaison Orientation
- Dental Hygienist Liaison Project Handout
- Dental Hygienist Liaison Project Handout - Spanish
- DHL At-A-Glance Activity Guide
- RDHLC Region I-X At-a-Glance Activity Guide
- RDHLC Region XI-XII At-a-Glance Activity Guide
Information about Head Start
- Head Start Center Locator
- Head Start Performance Standards Related to Oral Health
- Program Information Reports - First time users see bottom of the page for instructions on how to gain access to reports.
- State EPSDT Dental Periodicity Schedules
- A Guide to the Dental Periodicity Schedule and Oral Exam
Key Contacts
- Head Start Collaboration Offices by State - Head Start Collaboration Offices (HSCO) facilitate partnerships between Head Start recipients and state entities that provide services to benefit families with low-incomes.
- Head Start Regional Health Specialists
- State Oral Health Programs - This page provides links to pages for each state.
- State Oral Health Coalitions
- National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS) - NCHBHS is a consortium of partners that design evidence-based resources and deliver innovative training and technical assistance (TTA) to build the capacity of Head Start programs. NCHBHS is funded by the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families.
- National Head Start Association (NHSA) - NHSA works to promote policy change to ensure all children at high risk have access to the Head Start model of support for the child, family, and the community.
- Regional and State Head Start Associations
Approved Educational Materials
HeadStart.gov
HeadStart.gov is a central repository for materials for Head Start staff and others who work to support health and behavioral health for pregnant women and children enrolled in Head Start programs. The materials listed on the oral health section of the HeadStart.gov website are approved for sharing with Head Start staff and families. DHLs are encouraged to save this site as a favorite and refer to it often when responding to questions from Head Start staff and families. These materials cover a wide variety of oral health topics such as dental visits, fluoride, nutrition, oral health care, oral hygiene, and safety and emergency first aid.
These presentations, approved by the Office of Head Start (OHS) for NCHBHS oral health staff, consultants, and volunteers (DHLs) to use, cover topics such as engaging families in oral health, promoting dental public health, and promoting oral health during pregnancy and early childhood. You may use tall slides in a presentation,delete slides and/or combine slides from multiple presentations. You may not add or change content to any slides without OHS project officer review and approval. To download files, select the desired folders and click the download arrow in the upper right corner of the screen.
Oral Health Social Media Campaign
The social media campaign for Head Start families features messages and graphics for use on X, Twitter and Instagram. All of this content is accessible at http://bit.ly/HeadStartASTDD. DHLs are encouraged to download the social media toolkit, that contains sample messages and instructions for using the videos and graphics that are stored on this web portal.
Recent DHL Meetings and Webinars
Clear Connections: Using Plain Language with Head Start Staff and Community Partners- In this webinar, public health communications expert Matt Jacob, BA, shares strategies for using plain language to communicate effectively with Head Start staff, state-level partners, and the public. Learn practical techniques to simplify complex information, build trust, and enhance your impact as a Dental Hygienist Liaison. (January 2025)
Enhancing Oral Health through Head Start Health Manager Networks- In this webinar, Steve Shurman, NCHBHS Directoir of Outreach and Distance Learning, shares insights into health manager networks, how they differ from local Head Start Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committees, and ideas for potential activities to engage at the state and regional levels. (October 2024)
Archived DHL Webinars
Forms
- DHL Tracking Form - DHL Quarterly Tracking Form - Use of this form is optional. DHLs can use this form to track their activities each quarter. This form is intended as a tool for tracking purposes only and is not submitted.
- DHL Quarterly Progress Report (to be completed by state DHLs only): DHLs complete and submit this form each quarter to share the activities they accomplished.
- DHL Annual Expense Allowance Request Form
- RDHLC Region I-X Progress Report (to be completed by regional DHLs in regions I - X only, not state DHLs): Regional DHL Coordinators for Region I-X complete and submit this form each quarter to share the activities they accomplished.
- RDHLC Region XI-XII Progress Report (to be completed by regional DHLs in regions XI-AIAN and region XII-HSMS only, not state DHLs): Regional DHL Coordinators for Region XI-XII complete and submit this form each quarter to share the activities they accomplished.
- Meeting Report Form
- Expense Reimbursement Form
