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

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.

NCHBHS Presentations

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.

Resources to Make You Smile!

This monthly newsletter provides Head Start staff with materials to promote good oral health in the program and at home. It also includes a recipe for a healthy snack that children can make in a Head Start program or at home with their families. Archived issues of the newsletter can be accessed here. To subscribe to receive future issues of Resources to Make You Smile!, visit HeadStart.gov. Once on the page, enter your e-mail address and then select Oral Health.

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 https://headstart.gov/salud-oral/articulo/oral-health-social-media-messages. 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

HeadStart.gov: Your Source for Oral Health Resources to Support Head Start Staff-In this webinar, Jenna Linden and Sarah Kolo from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center guide viewers through HeadStart.gov, showcasing a wide range of oral health resources designed to support Head Start staff, pregnant women, children, and their families. DHLs learn how to efficiently navigate the site, use tags and filters to find targeted materials, and explore effective ways to share these tools to improve oral health education and outcomes within Head Start programs. (April 2025)

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