Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Requirement Update

The California Department of Education and the California Department of Public Health are writing to inform you that the forms used for the Kindergarten Oral Health Requirement per California Education Code Section 49452.8 (Assembly Bill [AB] 1433) have been revised through Senate Bill (SB) 379 to improve oral health outcomes data needed to measure the success of prevention and intervention programs. SB 379 allows schools to provide onsite screening and fulfill the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) with passive consent, which means that parents/guardians of students would need to notify the school that they do not want their child screened. Please use the updated KOHA forms effective immediately. KOHA is another way schools can help reduce dental disease through connecting children to a source of dental care, reduce chronic absenteeism, and improve school readiness.

Tooth decay is the most chronic yet preventable healthcare need among California’s children. It is the cause of 874,000 school days missed each year, which costs schools $29 to $32 million annually in average daily attendance funding. More than half of California current kindergartners have experienced tooth decay, and by third grade, this number rises to over 70 percent. If left untreated, tooth decay affects children’s academic performance, social-emotional development, sleep, and nutrition.

AB 1433 data are managed by the System for California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR) at https://www.ab1433.org/home/overview at no cost to schools, districts, or counties. There are local oral health programs in all counties with oral health resources and assistance to support your efforts.

For copies of the new Oral Health Assessment Forms, please visit the SCOHR Reporting web page at https://www.ab1433.org/home/reporting.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Erin Ross, School Nurse Consultant, Office of School-Based Health Programs, at eross@cde.ca.gov [Note: The contact for this subject is the Office of School-Based Health Programs at schoolnurse@cde.ca.gov].

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California Department of Education

Jayanth Kumar
State Dental Director
California Department of Public Health