Daily supervised toothbrushing in kindergartens: second and third years of "Smiles" oral health promotion program among preschool children.

The article focuses on the second and third years of the "Smiles" oral health promotion program, which implemented daily supervised toothbrushing in Israeli kindergartens to enhance preschool children's toothbrushing skills and reduce early childhood caries (ECC). The study involved 36 kindergartens—18 with daily supervised toothbrushing and 18 controls—and found that children in the supervised group showed significantly greater improvement in brushing skills and had lower decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) scores at age five. High levels of cooperation and satisfaction were reported among children, parents, and educational staff, supporting the program's feasibility and acceptance. Following these results, the "Smiles" program was incorporated into Israel's national dental health services for pupils starting in 2018.