Oral health affects every aspect of a child’s wellbeing, preventing pain and infections that lead to struggles with eating, speaking, and learning. Yet tooth decay remains one of the most chronic childhood conditions – despite being entirely preventable.
In California’s rural communities, particularly in the Northern and Central Valley regions, kids are at an even greater risk due to a shortage of providers limiting access to oral health care. To help alleviate this problem, local oral health programs (LOHPs) based in county health departments, with support from the State Office of Oral Health, have been working tirelessly to establish or expand school dental programs in their communities that would close these gaps and get kids critical services.
Since July 2025, Children Now has worked closely with many of these Northern California LOHPs through the Enhancing Collaboration for Children’s Oral Health (ECCOH) project. Through sharing strategies and facilitating partnerships, the collaboration seeks to ensure more children get screened while in school and receive much-needed preventive dental services.
We are proud to highlight some of the incredible work Northern California counties are doing to improve children’s oral health in their communities. Read their stories below:
Glenn County
“On February 3, we went to the Board of Supervisors to present our proclamation for National Children’s Dental Health Month. This was our first year doing so, and it was a wonderful way to kick off the month. We used social media materials from the Smile CA campaign that launched on February 1. We also conducted a series of oral health presentations for TK–3rd grade students. Each child received an oral health kit with a toothbrush, timer, and floss, along with tips for parents to support healthy habits at home.”
Lassen County
“In collaboration with our RDA-EF we’re excited to have brought oral health assessments and fluoride varnish treatments to all Head Start locations throughout the County of Lassen. During each visit, children received free dental care products, education and Smile California resource materials to help support healthy smiles at home.”
“The second annual Back-School-Bash was a tremendous success, reaching nearly ten times as many children as last year. Engaging with children, we explained each step of the process and helped them feel comfortable throughout the visits. Children also received a fluoride varnish treatment along with oral health education materials to support continued care at home.”
“In collaboration with our RDA-EF we’re excited to have brought oral health assessments and fluoride varnish treatments to all Head Start locations throughout the County of Lassen. During each visit, children received free dental care products, education and Smile California resource materials to help support healthy smiles at home.”
“The second annual Back-School-Bash was a tremendous success, reaching nearly ten times as many children as last year. Engaging with children, we explained each step of the process and helped them feel comfortable throughout the visits. Children also received a fluoride varnish treatment along with oral health education materials to support continued care at home.”
“Here is one of the many students who received a KOHA at one of the largest schools in Lassen County-McKinley elementary, home of the Bulldogs! In addition to an oral health assessment, parents received resource information to help establish a dental home for their child. Each student was also given a dental pouch filled with colorful dental supplies.
Our portable dental unit allowed us to visit schools throughout Lassen County, ensuring every child has access to a KOHA and the support needed for a brighter, healthier smile.”
Nevada County
“Nevada County Public Health is proud to bring dental care directly to where children learn. For the first time, our Oral Health Program launched Virtual Dental Home clinics in local schools, using telehealth and a team-based approach to make care more accessible and comfortable for families. We visited six schools and served nearly 60 children, helping prevent tooth decay and supporting healthier smiles, fewer absences, and brighter futures.”
Shasta County
“One of the most exciting highlights was partnering with a local dental provider who was planning an American Dental Association Give Kids a Smile event. We collaborated to identify and refer children who faced barriers to accessing dental care. One child who had been experiencing significant dental pain was referred to the event. Because of this connection, the child was able to receive needed treatment at no cost, providing relief and a positive step toward better oral health. In addition to supporting this event, we hosted an oral health Storytime, shared social media messaging, and featured a display case highlighting LA County’s “Love Your Baby’s Teeth” campaign to increase awareness of children’s oral health.”
Tehama County
“We kicked off the month by distributing a PSA to our community health partners and launching an engaging poster contest for 5th through 8th graders, encouraging students to creatively promote the importance of oral health. We connected with families by visiting three local libraries and stocking Little Free Libraries with oral health–related books to help reinforce positive habits at home.
“In addition, we prepared to roll out our Brush in a Box program, awaiting the arrival of supplies so we could distribute materials directly to students. To ensure families stay informed and engaged, we sent weekly flyers to all schools for distribution to parents, helping extend our outreach and messaging throughout the community. We were also proud to partner with the Tribal CCTP community to host a culturally grounded story time event focused on oral health education.”
Trinity County
“We started off the month by issuing a proclamation at the Supervisor’s meeting, acknowledging our partnerships through the LOHP program and all the work that is being done locally, to connect kiddos to dentists and ensuring the completion of their oral health assessments. Throughout the month, we hosted storytime events at elementary schools across the community. Our program coordinator and local community health worker delivered oral health presentations to several community oral health groups. We also shared social media posts to help amplify our outreach efforts.”
What’s next?
Children Now will continue working with LOHPs in Northern California (and Central Valley) through March 2027. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, connect with us at [email protected].
