Location: Venue 3130 – 3130 W. Central
Time: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Dr. Jonelle Anamelechi
The Age-1 Advantage: Protecting the First 2,000 Days of Oral Health
Total CEs: 6 credit hours
About Dr. Jonelle Anamelechi
Dr. Jonelle Anamelechi is a Multi-Hyphenated Mom, Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist, CEO of Children’s Choice Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics (MD and DC), Dental Director for Thrive House, Past President of the DC AAPD, and Best-Selling Author in the D.C. Metro area. She has been named a top doctor in Family Magazine four years in a row and has been featured in The New York Times, Dentaltown, NBC, ABC, and CBS News. She is also a contributing author for Health in Her Hue and Dentaltown. Dr. Anamelechi serves as faculty of Children’s National Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Dr. Anamelechi’s areas of expertise come from years of training including but not limited to laser dentistry, maternal and child health, dental trauma, and growth and development. She graduated from Duke University and the University of North Carolina Schools of Dentistry and Public Health. After graduating, Dr. Anamelechi completed the specialized Pediatric Dental Residency Program at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center.
Course Description
Early childhood (0-5 years of age) represents one of the most critical windows for shaping lifelong oral and airway health. Yet many children are not evaluated by a dental professional until several years after the first signs of dysfunction appear.
This comprehensive course explores why the age-one dental visit serves as a gateway to protecting the first 2,000 days of oral and craniofacial development. Participants will learn how early screening and preventive care can identify risk factors related to caries, airway development, feeding challenges, and oral function long before more complex problems emerge.
Through clinical insights, developmental science, and practical implementation strategies, this course will examine how dentists can play a central role in early health trajectories for infants and toddlers. Attendees will gain tools to recognize early signs of oral dysfunction, collaborate with interdisciplinary providers, and implement age-one programs within their practices.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how early dental care can support healthier growth, improved feeding and sleep patterns, and long-term oral health outcomes.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, attendees will be able to:
- Explain why the first 2,000 days of life are critical for oral and craniofacial development.
- Identify early risk factors for caries, airway dysfunction, feeding challenges, and oral habits in infants and toddlers.
- Conduct an age-appropriate functional dental examination for young children.
- Recognize how early oral function impacts sleep, breathing, speech, and jaw development.
- Collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary providers including IBCLCs, ENTs, speech therapists, and myofunctional therapists.
- Implement practical strategies to build or refer an age-one preventive care program within a dental practice