For the past 25 years, the Healthy Smile Happy Child (HSHC) initiative has been leading the charge in Manitoba against Early Childhood Caries (ECC), also known as childhood tooth decay or cavities. The program is a multi-disciplinary outreach initiative that engages communities in ECC prevention strategies and promotion of early childhood oral health. ECC is a destructive, yet preventable, form of tooth decay in young children, particularly those living in disadvantaged populations.

Originally established by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, HSHC has been helping communities since 2000. Led by CHRIM member Dr. Bob Schroth, an international authority on ECC, who has been a member since its inception, the program has helped countless children avoid painful procedures.

“Leading this program has been one of the crowning achievements of my career,” says Dr. Bob Schroth, professor of preventive dental science at the Dr. Gerald Niznick Collage of Dentistry in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and a clinician-scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. “Setting these communities and kids on the right path of oral health is incredibly important and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

For 25 years the program has developed strong health promotion partnerships with other communities and a solid record of accomplishments. Although not limited to Indigenous peoples, the program is one of only a few community-based and culturally grounded oral health programs for Indigenous children, a group that has historically had limited access to care. Every year, HSHC reaches approximately 5,000 community members with oral health information and support. It also engages health professionals through its presentation series with an average of 150 participants in each of its presentations.

In the future, Health Smile Happy Child will continue to strive to meet the oral health promotion demands of communities across Manitoba.