Massachusetts Makes Brushing Kids' Teeth the Rule

Jan. 27, 2010— -- While parents try all manner of incentives to get their children to brush, Massachusetts is trying to help them with new regulations on day care centers that have more teeth to them.

As of the start of the year, day care centers in Massachusetts must help children brush their teeth after meals or risk losing their licenses.

After the story was reported by ABC affiliate WCVB in Boston, the message board filled with comments. Some supported the measure because of the good oral hygiene habits it might help kids develop. Others said the state was imposing an undue burden on day care centers.

The new rule was put in place by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care. While the toothbrush regulations themselves are new, department spokeswoman Constantia Papanikolaou told ABCNews.com, "We always have regulated child care."

The new rules, she said, were made based on the latest research on children's development and best practices for children's dental care.

Massachusetts regulations say, "Educators must assist children in brushing their teeth whenever they are in care for more than four hours or whenever they consume a meal while in care."

(Read the full regulations here.)

Papanikolaou clarified that the children need to brush their teeth at least once in day care, but not after both meals if they eat breakfast and lunch there.

"It's not 'after every meal or after every snack', it's 'incorporate this into your program once a day,'" she said. "It's a learned skill; it's improved by practice, so that is the underlying intention here."

A presentation on the department's Web site said the Massachusetts rules were not the nation's first; the federal Head Start program had mandated dental day care for kids without any problems.