According to Dr. James Crall, an expert on oral health: “Some work analyzing national data has demonstrated that low-income children, in particular low income children from certain ethnic and racial minority groups, have rates of tooth decay 3 to 5 times higher than their more affluent white counterparts. There also has been an increase in kids developing cavities in their pre-school years, what we refer to as Early Childhood Caries or ECC. Many times the decay is severe enough that by age one or two these children have to be taken to the hospital for treatment under general anesthesia or they end up in emergency rooms, despite all the improvements we’ve made overall. A lot of this is avoidable if we can help families understand the importance of good oral health habits early in life.”

Because of this, Sesame Workshop has launched Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me, a public health awareness initiative encouraging oral health in America’s children.  Check out this “Brushy Brush” PSA featuring some recognizable celebrities (and Elmo auto-tuned!)

Read the full interview with Dr. Crall that explains the importance of oral health.  Make sure to check out the Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me online toolkit for parent and care provider tips, games, a tooth brushing achievement certificate and more!