A Head Start on Dental Health

Too many children in Chester County have large, painful cavities by the time they’re four or five years old. A shocking number have multiple cavities so large you can see them with the naked eye.  Knowing this—seeing it week after week—is what motivates Jaclyn Gleber to travel across Chester County teaching children about dental health and screening them for cavities. 

In October Jaclyn led workshops at Head Start in Phoenixville, West Chester and Coatesville. Her workshops are a natural fit for the Head Start Program, which prepares young children to be ready for school. The pain of dental disease makes it hard for children to focus in class.  Children sometimes act out to distract themselves from their pain.  And too often, children miss school altogether, losing 51 million hours nationally every year because of dental disease. 

Dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease. It’s five times more common than asthma and 100% preventable. Learning good dental health habits early can help prevent disease and screening identifies children who already have serious cavities.  Jaclyn, a Registered Public Health Dental Hygienist and Ph.D. in Education, is an evangelist for good dental health practices.  Her lightning-strike energy and enthusiasm, combined with her skill at
interactive teaching techniques, makes her
classes fun and fast-paced. 

During her workshops, Jaclyn also screened children for obvious cavities and worked with Head Start’s staff to ensure those with cavities were referred to Community Dental or other dental practics more convenient for
their families.


Community Dental’s workshops extend our reach beyond the dental center into the community, helping to teach families the importance of early dental care.

Just look at these faces, these beautiful children. We want to keep them smiling and healthy for the rest of their lives.