Initiatives

Cavity Free at Three

Cavity Free at Three is a three-year statewide effort to prevent oral disease in young children.  It is jointly funded by Caring for Colorado Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, The Colorado Trust, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Rose Community Foundation. These organizations came together to address the oral health needs of some of Colorado’s most vulnerable populations — low-income pregnant women and very young children less than 3 years of age.

Cavity Free at Three engages dentists, physicians, nurses, dental hygienists, public health practitioners, and early childhood educators to increase pregnant women’s and young children’s access to oral disease prevention and early detection services. The program provides technical assistance as well as free oral health packages for mothers to use with their young children. Each Cavity Free at Three package includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, and instructions for keeping infants and young children’s mouths healthy.  A key component of the program is empowering pregnant women and mothers by teaching them how to care for their infant’s teeth, and teaching them that oral disease is transmissible from mother (or other caregivers) to child.