What is COHI? Children's Oral Health Initiative Program - Sto:lo Nation

“Promoting Health & Wellness and
Preventing Illnesses within our Stó:lō
Communities” – Sto:lo Health
What is COHI
COHI stands for Children’s Oral
Health Initiative.
COHI is a dental initiative
designed to prevent and control
tooth decay in young First
Nations children and to set the
stage for a lifetime of healthy
teeth.
Helping children avoid pain and
infection from cavities gives
them a better opportunity to
learn and thrive
Children’s Oral Health
Initiative Program
Stó:lō Nation Health Services
Stó:lō Nation
7-7201 Vedder Rd
Chilliwack, BC
V2R 4G5
Telephone: 604-824-3200
Toll Free: 1-877-411-3200
Fax: 604-824-0276
Website: www.stolohealth.com
Stó:lō Nation Health Services

WHO SHOULD RECEIVE COHI TREATMENT
• First Nations Children aged 0 to 7 years old.
• Parents/Caregivers of children aged 0 to 7years old
• Pregnant women
I have some
special tips
for you!
Children’s Oral Health Initiative
Children’s Oral Health Initiative
The program was developed by Health
Canada to encourage First Nations to help
themselves to establish and maintain healthy
teeth and gums. By simple using good oral
hygiene practices and monitoring a diet low
in sugar you can reduce the chances of your
child suffering from infection and pain.
Cavities can be prevented!! Let’s work
together to ensure your child has a happy
healthy smile!
We provide the following services:
First Visit: You can bring your baby in even
before they have teeth. By starting so early
we are introducing dentistry in a positive
manner. The dental therapist will do a
quick check up (screening) to see if there
are any issues in need of immediate
treatment and will prescribe treatment. We
can provide referrals for any treatment not
being offered through COHI.
Education and information about proper
oral hygiene and low sugar diet: Come
and learn brushing/flossing techniques, how
much toothpaste, fluoride or no fluoride
toothpaste, when to introduce flossing,
when baby should come off the bottle, tips
for introducing brushing, good snacks bad
snacks.
Fluoride Varnish strengthens the teeth to
help prevent cavities: We apply fluoride
varnish to the children’s teeth as prescribed
by dental therapist. Fluoride Varnish is a
sticky substance that hardens within seconds on
the child’s teeth. For the varnish to do its job it
requires 24 hours of no crunchy food and no
brushing of the teeth. We have a few flavors to
choose from.
Chewing gum for the parents or caregivers
of Infants ages 0-2 ½ years old. By chewing
this gum on a daily basis this helps reduce
the number of bacteria in the parent or
caregivers mouth and also helps prevent the
transfer of bacteria from parent to the
infant’s mouth. This is available in a variety
of flavors.
ART-Temporary fillings for baby teeth: We
offer a painless technique of strengthening
and repairing decayed teeth (cavities).
Come and see if your child is a candidate for
this technique.
Sealants: a special plastic coating placed on
the chewing surfaces of the permanent
molars to prevent cavities from happening.
TIPS:
• Have the whole family visit the
dentist regularly including mom
and dad
• Brush teeth twice a day
• Floss teeth once a day
• Give children healthy drinks and
snacks
• Use only water in baby’s bedtime
bottle
Healthy Teeth, Happy Children
For further information about
our COHI program you can
contact our COHI Aide at
604-824-3200 or 1-877-411-3200