School Oral Health

Lack of access to dental care is a problem for many California children. Dental disease is one of the most common reasons for school absences and makes it hard for children to concentrate and learn. Dental problems are the number one reason children miss school. The kindergarten oral health assessment requirement, AB 1433, helps schools identify children suffering from cavities and dental pain and helps parents establish a dental home for their children and prepares a student for learning and better success in school.

To ensure a child is ready for school, California law AB 1433, signed into law in 2006, and AB2630, signed into law in 2024, requires that a child have an oral health assessment or dental check-up in their first year in public school starting in:

• Transitional kindergarten (TK)
• Kindergarten or
• First grade

A completed Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) by a licensed dental professional meets this requirement. The KOHA helps schools identify children suffering from untreated dental disease and assists parents in establishing a dental home for their children. KOHA data also enables the County and providers to prioritize areas for linkage to dental care services, oral health education initiatives, family engagement, and increased access initiatives.

This requirement is established under (California Education Code [EC] Section 49452.8). The law states that schools must send notification of the assessment requirement to parents or legal guardians. The updated KOHA forms are effective July 1, 2022, and can be found in multiple languages on the California Oral Health Technical Assistance Center Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Resources.

• Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Form: the screening/assessment form parents/caregivers need to take to their child’s dental appointment and have the dental provider complete. If the child’s school hosts a KOHA screening day, the dental providers will complete this required form then.
  • KOHA Form in additional languages: Spanish ♦ Chinese (Simplified) ♦ Chinese (Traditional) ♦ Korean ♦ Tagalog ♦ Vietnamese
• Parent Notification Letter: describes what the KOHA requirement is and what parents/caregivers need to do. It includes information about how to access dental care in the county as well as basic oral health information.
  • Parent Notification Letter in other languages: Spanish ♦ Chinese (Simplified) ♦ Chinese (Traditional) ♦ Korean ♦ Tagalog ♦ Vietnamese
• Resources for families with Medi-Cal that need to find a dental home:
  • Sonoma County Community Dental Clinics and the state Medi-Cal dental provider lists: Find a Dentist
  • Medi-Cal Dental Care Coordination Form and flyers in English and Spanish

SB 379 allows schools to provide onsite screening and fulfill KOHA with passive consent, such that parents/guardians of students would need to notify the school that they do not want their child screened.

• School-linked dental program manual (screenings, education, and care coordination)
• Mobile Dental Clinics

School districts play an important role in the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA). Office staff, nurses, and health clerks help ensure families have the KOHA completed, returned to their child’s school, and report KOHA outcomes by submitting the required data to the System for California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR) online database.

KOHA Reporting Resources

• KOHA Data Collection Tools for Inputting into SCOHR
• SCOHR Quick Input Data Form Template
• System for California Oral Health Reporting Database (SCOHR)
• SCOHR AB 1433 User Manual and FAQs

According to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 351,000 children and teens missed at least one or more days of school due to dental problems in the past year (2022).

• Fact Sheet: Missed School Days Due to Dental Problems »

Developing good dental health habits at an early age, including regular dental visits, can help a child’s attendance, school grades, and a lifetime of healthy smiles. Help promote and reinforce the benefits of good oral health in childhood.

Click on the links below to view oral health and school readiness resources from Smile, California (Medi-Cal Dental):

Resources for members

Resources for partners

Find your Medi-Cal dental home (English)

Find your Medi-Cal dental home (Spanish)