School District Recognized for Outstanding Oral Health

The California Dental Association (CDA) recently recognized with a certificate of appreciation last week for making oral health a priority for its students. 

“We are very pleased to assist our students and community in any and all health efforts,” said Superintendent Dr. Dennis Byas. “We have been very fortunate to partner with many agencies that really appreciate assisting children and we are pleased that our medical community has been and continues to be so generous to our district.” 

The SLUSD is among only 15 percent of districts in California that have consistently collected and reported kindergarten dental check-up data since the kindergarten oral health requirement, known as AB 1433, was signed into law in 2005.

The CDA financially supports implementing the law by allocating funds to a web-based statewide reporting method known as the System of California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR). It tracks Oral Assessment Health Forms and provides access to policy makers and researchers to evaluate this data. The method remains free for schools, the district and county to use.

During the 2009-2010 school year, the number of children receiving kindergarten dental check-ups has declined statewide. The CDA believes this to be a result of the 2009 California Department of Education decision allowing districts the flexibility on how they would spend their categorical program funds.

None of the students in the SLUSD were reported to have untreated dental decay after receiving dental check-ups during the 2009-2010 school year. However, 21 percent of Alameda County and 23 percent of California students were reported to have tooth decay that could have been treated if a check-up took place.

The CDA says by kindergarten, over 50 percent of California children have already experienced dental decay. The association also stresses that aside from affecting a child's overall health, poor oral health can interefere with their ability to concentrate and learn in school.

Poorly treated teeth can eventually become costly for local school districts and the economy as well.

Children in California miss about 874,000 days of school each year due to dental problems, according to a UCLA health policy research brief. Their absences ended up costing local school districts a whopping $28.8 million.

After achieving this accomplishment in oral health, Byas said the district hopes to next tackle asthma. It is currently working on a large project in partnership with District 3 Supervisor Wilma Chan.

“We know that children younger than 18 years of age account for 47.8 percent of the emergency department visits and 34.6 percent of the hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbations,” Byas said. “That affects all school districts, but especially in this area of the Bay.”