Oral Health Task Force

First 5 is part of a recently formed oral health task force whose goal is to provide education, screenings, varnishings, treatment and dental homes to children 0-5 in Amador County.  
The task force includes partners from: 

  • A-TCAA Head Start                                                       
  • Dr. Womack's Office
  • Jackson Creek Dental
  • Amador County Public Health
  • Amador Smile Keepers
  • First 5 Amador
  • Amador County Unified School District
  • Amador Community Foundation
  • Sutter Creek Smiles

Thus far, the task force is responsible for the following accomplishments:

  • Parent/child education, screenings and varnish provided at: 
         ~Family Resource Centers
         ~Child Care Centers
         ~Preschool Facilities
         ~Celebrate our Children
  • Educational materials and toothbrushes distributed in First 5 Amador's School Readiness Envelopes each February for National Dental Health Month
  • Screenings provided at 2008 Kindergarten Enrollments and First 5 Amador's Parent Education Nights
  • Worked with local transportation committee to add a route the serves the MACT Dental Clinic

In addition to participation within the task force, First 5 also helps fund the "Amador Smile Keepers" program.  The Smile Keepers Health Promotion Initiative was developed to fill the need created by a lack of dental care for low and uninsured families whose children attend local preschools.  Smile Keepers is a disease prevention program that serves to protect teeth before decay begins by educating families on the importance and techniques for the maintenance of good oral care. The program also provides oral screenings for the detection of oral decay and the application of topical fluoride to children between the ages of 3 and 6 years.  When dental problems are detected, the Smile Keeper s’ staff assist families in accessing appropriate dental care.  The Initiative is a joint venture funded by the California Department of Health Services, Maternal Child Adolescent Health (MCAH) Branch and First 5 Amador.
 
The driving force behind the Smile Keepers Health Promotion Initiative was the study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

  • Dental caries, cavities, is the most common chronic disease affecting children in the United States. It is 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.
  • Early childhood dental caries emerge within all cultural and economic pediatric populations.
  • By the time children are in preschool (ages 2-3), 18.7% have at least 1 tooth with untreated caries.
  • By early school (ages 5-9), 51.6% have either a carious lesion or a filling in a primary tooth.
  • Overall, 58.6% children ages 5 to 17 have caries.
  • Pediatricians and other child health professionals can have a major impact on oral health outcomes for children because of the opportunities provided by early intervention.

Ultimately, the purpose of the Smile Keeper’s Program is to promote improved child oral health by offering families and local partnerships the support they need to provide community-based, collaborative care in order to increase the number of children entering kindergarten with good oral habits and free of dental disease.

Amador Smile Keepers will be offering a series of free dental screenings and fluoride varnishing that will be open to all children 0-5 who live in Amador County. 
Please see below for a list of dates, times and locations:


           3/1/10       10::30am            Camanche Playgroup, Camanche Lake Community Center,
                                                                                                       4232B. Camanche Parkway North           
           3/9/10      10:15am            Jackson Playgroup, Kennedy Meadows Apartments,
                                                                                                 701 New York Ranch Road
         3/31/10       10:45am           Ione Playgroup, Ione Memorial Hall, 207 S. Amador Street
         4/8/10        10:15am            Pine Grove Playgroup, River of Life Church, 19751 Highway 88


Here are some resources and information for parents: