Parent training to protect toddlers' and preschoolers' teeth
Multi-Media Professional Development for Parenting Educators to Deliver Oral Hygiene Education for Parents of Young Children
A parent-facing program that teaches behavior strategies and easy oral hygiene steps to help prevent cavities in children ages 0–5.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Res Behavioral Intervention Strat NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Springfield, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144392 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project created BeReady2Smile (BR2S), a coordinated prevention program that trains parenting educators to teach parents how to build tooth-care routines for young children. It combines proven behavioral parenting techniques with practical oral hygiene guidance and addresses common barriers parents face. The program was developed as a multimedia, commercially viable package to be delivered through community and early-childhood education channels. The goal is universal prevention—helping most families form lasting habits that lower young children's risk of cavities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are parents or primary caregivers of children from birth through about five years old who want help establishing daily oral care routines.
Not a fit: Children with advanced dental disease already needing specialist restorative treatment, or older children beyond the preschool years, may not see direct benefit from this preventive program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, parents could get clearer, easier tools to reduce tooth decay in toddlers and preschoolers and make daily dental care less stressful.
How similar studies have performed: Behavioral parent-training methods have strong evidence for changing child behaviors, and combining those methods with oral health education is newer but builds on proven approaches.
Where this research is happening
Springfield, UNITED STATES
- Oregon Res Behavioral Intervention Strat — Springfield, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, David Randolph — Oregon Res Behavioral Intervention Strat
- Study coordinator: Smith, David Randolph
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.