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Fast Facts:

California’s children have twice as much untreated decay as their national counterparts.

Only 10% of California’s 8-year olds get sealants for their first permanent molars.

Only 30% of Californians currently receive the benefits of fluoridated water.

Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network
1800 30th Street, Ste. #230
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tel: 661.377.0322 or 661.377.0323
Fax: 661.377.0329

KCCDHN
Kern County Children's Dental Health Network

Providing children's dental services at school

The Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network (KCCDHN) began providing dental services for Kern County children in December, 2000. The program was developed as a partnership between the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and West Kern Community College District (Taft College Dental Hygiene Program). The program is funded by First 5-Kern (Proposition 10). The primary goal of the mobile school-based dental program is to decrease the amount of decay in children, 1-5 years of age by improving access to dental services.

The dental services are provided by a cadre of KCCDHN staff including Stacy Eastman, DDS, 5 local pediatric dentists, Daniel Launspach, DDS; Daniel Purdy DMD; Edward Dove, DDS PC; Robert Bang DDS; and Kurt W. Sturz, DMD MS; 4 Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice; and 25 second-year dental hygiene students from Taft College Dental Hygiene Program.

The dental hygiene students provide the preventive services at a school site, under the direction of Stacy Eastman DDS. Their services include oral health education, an oral screening, a plaque index, a prophylaxis, application of fluoride, and sealants, if age appropriate. Children who are identified as needing further treatment are then given the opportunity to be treated by one of the local subcontracted pediatric dentists, Dr. Launspach DDS, Dr. Purdy DDS, Dr. Dove DDS or Dr. Bang DDS in their respective offices. There are no fees for any of the dental services provided.

November  Newsbite: Lets EducateOur Kids About Good Oral Health Every year it seems, school starts, and then time flies!!  Before you know it, the holidays are upon us, beginning with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year!!  After all the treats and goodies have tempted us and our children throughout all the festivities, we can slow down and remind ourselves, our students, and our children to eat healthy and take care of our teeth.  And that is what February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month is all about. Speaking of how time flies, this February celebrates the 60th NCDHM since it began in 1949 promoting the development of good oral habits at an early age.  Hopefully, the awareness of the importance of implementing healthy oral habits every day will bring a lifetime of good oral health.  With everything that has been in the news recently linking systemic health with oral health, this has become an even more important issue.  So, before February has arrived, here are some ideas to get ready to educate our children! For some great educational tools, visit ADA’s website at www.ada.org/.  On their home page, look under “The Public”, go down to “Smile Smarts!  Oral Health Care Curriculum”, and click.  You will find modular lesson plans broken into age appropriate categories for ages 4-7, 7-9, 9-12, and 12-14 years of age.  There are also support materials such as student activity sheets, and topics for discussions that can be downloaded for free. Read More...