Community Oral Health Program
The Community Oral Health Program (COHP) works in collaboration with schools and community partners to increase access to oral health services by linking children, youth and families to no or low-cost dental resources. This program includes both the Children's Oral Health Program and the Local Community Health Improvement Plan. The Children's Oral Health Program began its efforts to improve the health of Contra Costa County children and youth in 1977. More recently, COHP has expanded its role to include understanding, assessing and working collaboratively with community partners to impact Contra Costa County's oral health system – developing a comprehensive community health improvement plan.
For more details on each component, please click on the tabs below.
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Children's Oral Health Program
The Children's Oral Health Program works with local schools to provide preventive oral health services:
- Education: Children learn the proper way to brush their teeth, how to prevent cavities, and how good nutrition helps keep their teeth healthy. All children receive free toothbrushes.
- Screenings: Licensed dental professionals perform visual screenings to check the health of children's mouths.
- Sealants: Children in grades 2-6 are screened to determine if they need dental sealants on their permanent molars. Sealants are a thin, plastic coating. They help reduce the risk of developing cavities, in the chewing surface of molars.
- Varnish: All students who return a consent form will get a fluoride varnish application.
- Kindergarten: The Program offers assistance to schools to help fulfill State law, AB1433, which requires that children entering public schools for the first time, in kindergarten, must have a dental check-up.
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Oral Health Improvement Plan
Contra Costa is developing a strategic community health improvement plan, as well as an oral health systems map of the county that identifies oral health resources and gaps. CCHS leaders and community stakeholders have identified seven oral health priorities for Contra Costa.
How to get Involved
List of oral health partners
- Antioch Unified School District
- Brighter Beginnings
- Brookside Community Health Center
- California Children Services
- Children Now
- Children's Dental Health Foundation
- Coco Kids
- Community Connect Foster Care
- Community Services Bureau
- Contra Costa Child Care Council
- Contra Costa County Alcohol and Other Drug Substance Program
- Contra Costa County Community Services Bureau
- Contra Costa County Office of Education
- Contra Costa Crisis Center
- Contra Costa Dental Society
- Contra Costa Health Plan
- Contra Costa Health Services
- Contra Costa Probation
- Delta Dental
- Denti-Cal
- Diablo Valley College
- East Bay Town Center Dental
- First 5
- George Miller Center
- Hatchuel Tabernik & Associates
- Head Start
- Healthy and Active Before 5
- John Muir Community Health Fund
- John Muir Health
- Just Health 510 (private practice)
- La Clinica de la Raza
- Lifelong
- Loma Vista Adult Education
- Los Medanos College
- Los Medanos Community Healthcare District
- Mt. Diablo Unified School District
- Muir Station Smiles
- Pittsburg Unified School District
- Planned Parenthood-Shasta Pacific
- Ronald McDonald Collaborative
- RotaCare Pittsburg St. Vincent De Paul Contra Costa
- Smile, California
- The California Endowment
- Ultradent Products, Inc
- West Contra Costa Unified School District
- West Contra Costa Youth Services Bureau
- Western Dental
- WIC
- YMCA of the East Bay
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Dental Clinics in Contra Costa County
See Dental Clinics in Contra Costa County.
Medi-Cal Dental Providers
Links
Local Links
- Contra Costa Dental Society
- La Clinica Monument
- La Clinica Pittsburg
- Lifelong Dental Care
- DVC Community Dental Clinic
- Community Health Indicators for Contra Costa County 2010—Children's Oral Health
- Brighter Beginnings
California Links
National Professional Associations
- American Dental Association
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Oral Health
General Oral Health Information
- Quick Bites
- Ronald McDonald House Charities — Ronald McDonald Care Mobile
- Mobile Dental Clinic John Muir
- California School Health Alliance
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- Oral Health America
- Children's Dental Health Project
Contact
Community Oral Health Program
597 Center Avenue, Suite 365
Martinez, CA 94553
Maria Ortiz-Padilla, Program Manager
925-313-6280
