Our Mission
Napa County’s Local Oral Health Program’s mission is to prevent and treat oral diseases among children, increase awareness on the importance of oral and overall health, and increase access to dental services. Cavities are preventable, and ensuring that children have preventative oral health services available is important in helping them stay healthy and ready for school.
A key part of addressing tooth decay is measuring its burden and working with community partners towards realistic goals of disease reduction through prevention, education, community awareness, outreach and events. Our Local Oral Health Program advisory committee works in collaboration with schools and community partners to increase access and education to oral health services by linking children and families to no or low-cost dental resources.
- Why is the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment important?
- Helps to identify children who need dental care
- Informs parents to take positive action
- Helps avoid future problems and missed school days
- Tracks progress with respect to children’s oral health
- Increases awareness about the importance of oral health
- Informs the community to address the unmet needs
- Plans public health programs
- KOHA infographic (Smile California) ENGLISH | SPANISH (external website, new window) – PDF
- Oral Health Assessment Form ENGLISH | SPANISH (external website, new window) – PDF
- KOHA Waiver of Oral Health Assessment Requirement ENGLISH | SPANISH (external website, new window) – PDF
- What is the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (new window) – PDF
Schools: the law requires schools to distribute the Oral Health Assessment Form to parents who are registering their child in public school for the first time, in either kindergarten or first grade. Schools must collect the Oral Health Assessment Forms by May 31st of the school year and are responsible to report totals to their district by July 1st of the same school year.
Schools, School Districts, County of Education or Public Health Departments: submit their individual school data to their district office by the end of the current school year (June) or to data system designated by the State Dental Director, called the System for California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR)
Parents: provide consent (passive or active) to have their child screened for the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Form
Providers: Dentists (DDS), Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH), and Registered Dental Hygienists in Alternate Practice (RDHAP) can complete the oral health screening. Note: a Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions (RDAEF) can complete the oral health screening under direct supervision in a school setting.
Local Health Jurisdictions: partner with school districts to provide collaboration, coordination, and resources to schools to complete the Oral Health Assessment
Did you know that children with poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don’t? If a child is in serious dental pain, due to poor oral health he or she will experience discomfort which can result in reduced concentration. When students miss school due to dental pain, it is much easier to fall behind.
Oral Health and School Readiness Fact Sheet (external website, new window) – PDF
Why Oral Health Matters (new window) – PDF
Key dental actions to encourage children to have healthier lifestyles
- Choosing healthy foods and drinks; such as fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and unsweetened beverages like water
- Daily dental routine habits; Brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day to remove plaque and food stuck between teeth
- Visiting a dentist at least twice a year; regular checkups and cleanings every six months, application of fluoride/varnish
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Sugary drinks can increase the risk of tooth decay and cavity development. Reducing your sugar intake and substituting these drinks for healthier options with less sugar, such as water, is one way to improve your child’s oral health. Consuming too much added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, can increase a child’s risk of tooth decay and many other health-related problems.
Every child needs a dental home
Having a dental home and maintaining routine check-ups so children receive professional teeth cleanings, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and other preventive treatments, helps keep your children’s teeth healthy and disease-free. The sooner children begin getting regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will stay throughout their lives. Early checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, trouble concentrating and other medical issues.
The best way to keep your child’s gums and teeth healthy is to take him or her to regular dental visits every 6 months. These 2x per year visits are usually covered through your preferred provider office of choice, or child’s Medi‑Cal dental plan. Most dental programs provide the following services for kids:
- Dental exams (every 6 months)
- X-rays
- Teeth cleaning (every 6 months)
- Fluoride varnish (every 6 months)
- Molar sealants
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Tooth removal
- Emergency services
- Outpatient services
- Sedation (if medically necessary)
- Children at a dental office
Fluoride varnish helps protect kids teeth from cavities
Fluoride varnish is a highly concentrated form of fluoride which is applied to the tooth’s surface, by a dentist, dental hygienist or other health care professional, as a type of topical fluoride therapy. Fluoride varnish is a gel that is put on teeth to help protect against tooth decay. This preventive treatment helps strengthen and protect teeth, reducing risk of tooth decay. Fluoride in varnish enters the tooth enamel and makes the tooth hard. It prevents new cavities and slows down or stops decay from getting worse. If tooth decay is just starting, it repairs the tooth.
Protect children’s teeth against cavities with molar sealants
Children start to lose their baby teeth as early as five years old. This is when their permanent teeth begin to grow in. We can protect a child’s back teeth (their molars) from cavities with sealants. Sealants are a thin glass protective coating that is applied to the chewing surfaces of a molar. Sealants are not the same as fluoride varnish, which is a pale-yellow gel. Sealants can protect your child’s teeth for several years.
3448 Villa Lane, Ste 102
Napa CA 94558
707-251-2055/707-815-1713
OLE Health- South Napa Campus
300 Hartle Court
Napa CA 94559
707 603-8906
OLE Health-Main Napa Campus
1141 Pear Tree Lane
Napa CA 94558
707-258-6128
911 Washington Street
Calistoga, CA 94515
707-709-2300
Western Dental Services
1260 Trancas Street
Napa CA 94558
707-536-0781
Medi-Cal Dental Smile California
Smile California
1800-322-6384
*Provides free or low-cost dental services to children and adults who receive Medi-Cal
Napa County Local Oral Health Program Advisory Committee Partners
