First 5 San Mateo County takes a whole-child approach to early childhood, and that means supporting their success from every angle. Oral health plays an important role in a child’s physical health, school success, and self-esteem. When children have tooth pain and decay, they miss important parts of early development!
Preventive health care can help minimize threats to healthy development and provide early detection and intervention for problems that emerge. Children with poor dental health are nearly three times more likely to be absent from school. According to the California Department of Education, dental problems contribute to 874,000 missed school days yearly, costing schools over $29 million annually in average daily attendance funding.
Our oral health partners are bringing oral health practices and dental care to families where they are. From providing dental screenings in schools throughout the county to educating parents on the importance and best practices of caring for baby teeth, they focus on making dental health care accessible.
If you are a partner or provider that works with children and families, become a voice for oral health! Download our Early Childhood Oral Health Social Media Toolkit to share San Mateo County’s best practices and best resources!
This toolkit is designed to equip you with engaging content and strategies to promote oral health awareness throughout the year. By leveraging the power of social media, we can collectively advocate for healthy smiles and empower families to prioritize their children’s dental well-being.
The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) requires all public school students to have an oral health screening completed by a licensed dental professional. This screening should happen in TK or Kindergarten (or first grade if a student didn’t attend the earlier grades.)
An oral health assessment is a quick, basic screening to identify the overall health of the mouth. It is not a full oral health evaluation, or a substitute for regular, comprehensive appointments with a dentist every 6 months, but it is one way schools can support children’s school readiness and success.
To learn more about how to administer the KOHA, what is included in the state requirements, and how parents are informed about this requirement, follow the link below.
San Mateo County Health’s Oral Health Guide offers tips for caring for teeth at any age, plus information on how to find a dentist and preparing young children for dental visits.
First 5’s Kit for New Parents includes a dental kit to keep little teeth and gums healthy. It also comes with lots of useful resources and information. It is free to San Mateo County residents.
Visit our Family Blog for more oral health resources and tips for families!
Early Childhood Oral Health Programming/Screening and Education and Access to Care
Sonrisas provides dental screenings, education, oral health supply toolkits, and care coordination to low-income children between zero and five in San Mateo County. These doctors provide urgent, restorative, and preventative care for children who need it!
Through free dental care screenings, either at schools or community pop-ups, and fun, engaging education, Sonrisas is bringing so many young children into important oral health habits from the start!
Ravenswood Family Health Network, Preventive Oral Health Project
Ravenswood Family Health Center provides preventative oral health care to children age 5 and under through Virtual Dental Home, bringing dental services to partner pre-schools.
Their dental desensitization visits at dental clinics help children with special needs get used to the dentist, and they provide urgent, restorative, and preventative care for children who need it, identified through school screening.
Through telehealth and oral health education, they help parents promote healthy teeth habits.
First 5 San Mateo County co-convenes the Children’s Oral Health Workgroup to coordinate, leverage and amplify the cutting edge oral health work happening across our county. From dental care to oral health policy to healthcare access, the workgroup collaborates to bring healthy smiles and healthy oral health habits to more families in our county.
Health care, especially oral health care, should be available, accessible, and clear for every family, and we, along with our partners, are dedicated to advancing the resources available to our whole community.
© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County
Kitty Lopez has served as the Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County since 2013, focusing on strategic investing, community leadership, policy and advocacy development for young children, 0-5, and their families.
Kitty has served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Build Up for San Mateo County Children’s Initiative, with Board of Supervisor, Dave Pine, since 2018. Congressman Kevin Mullin is Honorary Co-Chair. This initiative was established to preserve, grow, and increase the number of early care sites in San Mateo County.
Kitty previously served as the Executive Director of Samaritan House, one of San Mateo County’s leading Core Service Agencies and safety-net nonprofits serving low-income families and individuals with food, shelter, clothing, health care, counseling, education classes, and holiday assistance from 2002 to 2013.
Kitty taught kindergarten, second grade, and high school in southern California and San Francisco and was a consultant in schools with children who have autism and special needs. Additionally, Kitty worked in a residential substance abuse treatment center in San Francisco and psychiatric hospital for children and youth in San Diego. Kitty’s roots in supporting children began as a 16-year-old volunteer at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles where she taught swimming to children and adults with visual impairments.
She attended University of California Santa Barbara earning a California Teaching Credential and B.A in Psychology. Kitty is active in her community serving as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Event Center, and Past President and Current Member of the San Mateo Rotary Club. She is currently serving as Past President of the First 5 Association of California. On March 2022, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin selected Kitty Lopez as the 2022 Assembly District 22 Woman of the Year.
