This training curriculum and Guide is prepared for New Zealand Well Child/Tamariki Ora providers (Well Child services) who have specific training in child health. Well Child services encompass health education and promotion, health protection and clinical support, and family/whānau support.
The Guide aims to reduce oral health inequality by offering Well Child service providers information and understanding to provide early anticipatory guidance about the prevention of Early Childhood Caries (ECC). The Guide will enable Well Child services to raise awareness, educate and promote oral health by providing clear and consistent oral health messages to parents and families of children at highest risk of developing dental caries. ECC can be prevented and, if detected soon enough, its progress can be halted and quality of life can be improved for the child.