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Keiki Early Learning teams up with Little Smiles program to boost dental health
Freya Lucas
Jul 25, 2023
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The Little Smiles program, designed to remove the barriers of visiting the dentist by taking dental appointments into early childhood settings, recently teamed up with provider Keiki Early Learning to educate children about healthy oral habits.
Little Smiles was founded by Jamie Lee Spencer, an oral health therapist who has been working in pediatric dentistry for much of her career. She was compelled to create the program after witnessing firsthand the distressing consequences of poor oral hygiene and dental neglect in young children.“I was seeing children struggling with eating, speech difficulties, and emotional turmoil due to dental problems,” she explained.
“These issues were not only heartbreaking but also completely preventable.
“I could see a lack of early intervention and a gap in education about oral health for both children and their parents.”
The initiative is built on providing education, early intervention, and creating an engaging and comforting experience for young children.
Through home visits, childcare (sic.) centre visits, and engaging educational sessions, the program eliminates barriers that have historically prevented access to dental care for little ones.
Recently, the program has successfully been rolled out at Keiki Early Learning, a family-owned group of services operating in Perth’s northern suburbs.
“Educating children about healthy oral habits has been an important part of the Keiki Early Learning curriculum for twenty years,” explained Keiki owner Sam Morrell. “We were approached by Jamie Lee in 2022 and immediately committed to partner with her in making this program a success.”
“By providing children with a safe and comforting space where they can be supported by peers and trusted educators, we can help them to develop positive dental experiences and pick up a range of other issues that may be affecting their eating, sleeping or speech.’’
“Working with Little Smiles enables us to connect parents and caregivers to the support services they need, providing a high level of education and care for our children, families and communities.’’
The initiative has been positively received by more than 200 families across six Keiki services since first launching in late 2022. Children are provided with an interactive educational session, a comprehensive check, clean and remineralization treatment, a gift bag to take home, and a detailed report including referrals to oral health specialists where required.
Learn more about Little Smiles here. Information on Keiki Early Learning is available here.
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