The Public Health Department’s Local Oral Health Program partners with medical and dental providers, community-based organizations, county programs, schools, and local professionals to increase access to oral health resources in the County of Santa Clara. We offer oral health education and trainings to various professionals and organizations, help increase access to dental services for families, and work as a safety net to help school districts connect families to dental services.
Schools
One of the leading causes of school absenteeism is tooth pain due to dental decay. Schools can play a key role in student oral health to address missed school days and improve student success.
Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment
Promoting the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) helps ensure better oral health in children and remove oral health as an obstacle to learning. California law requires that all children have a dental assessment by May 31 in either kindergarten or first grade, whichever is their first year of public school. The assessments must be performed by a licensed or registered dental health professional, and proof of assessment is due on an annual basis by May 31.
What can schools do about KOHA?
- Remind parents and caregivers to have children screened for oral health issues by May 31 and provide a list of organizations or dental offices that can help.
- Complete the KOHA form for your patients, and have staff remind parents of younger children that the state requires dental screenings by May 31 for those starting kindergarten or first grade.
- Provide copies of the KOHA form or the online link, oral health educational flyers, and provider lists to parents and caregivers at the time of routine medical and dental exams.
- Emphasize the importance of dental screenings for school success.
Learn more about
School-based dental screenings
Organizations in the County of Santa Clara can provide local school districts with on-site, school-based dental screenings, oral health services, and oral health education for students of all ages and their families. Some offer care coordination for families in need of assistance with receiving dental care or with finding a dental home. School-based dental events can be scheduled throughout the school year. For information about school-based oral health education and screenings (ages 6 months to 18 years), visit the Healthier Kids Foundation’s Dental First program page or contact the Santa Clara County Dental Society.
Events, like the annual Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) dental screening event, are hosted by the Santa Clara County Dental Society in partnership with the American Dental Association and Santa Clara County Dental Foundation. Dentists are welcome to volunteer by completing the GKAS online form.
Local organizations providing oral health-related services to students and families
Oral health education
The Local Oral Health Program (LOHP) offers oral health training materials and online classes for those looking to improve oral health knowledge and its connection to overall health. The LOHP team employs and partners with subject matter experts in oral health conditions and inequities and can tailor educational materials to the specific needs of the audience.
Contact the LOHP directly for more information on oral health educational trainings, which may include:
- Oral health 101 for educators
- Oral health 101 for nursing staff
- Medical dental integration
- Prenatal oral health
- Oral health ages 0-3
- Oral health in youth and adolescents
- Teens, tobacco, and oral health
- Oral health and aging
- Dental sealants and fluoride varnish treatments
- Water fluoridation
- Common oral health conditions
- Oral cancer
- Head and neck screenings for nursing home nurses
- Gum Disease and Health Issues
- Infection Control
- Oral Health and COVID-19
- Oral Health and Wellbeing