School Based School Linked Dental Program (SBSL)
The San Joaquin County (SJC) Local Oral Health Program (LOHP) provides free dental screenings and preventative dental sealants to students enrolled in selected elementary schools in San Joaquin County.
In collaboration with Community Medical Centers the LOHP host free oral health screening days on-site at some schools in San Joaquin County. If you are interested in having us at your school reach out to SJTEETH@sjcphs.org to check if your school is eligible.
Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA)
The kindergarten oral health assessment (KOHA) ensures all children are healthy and ready for school. Similar to school screenings for vision and hearing, California has a law that strongly encourages children receive an oral health screening as part of school entry by their first year of school in either kindergarten or first grade. There are two ways to complete the screening, either at a dental office or through a school program. The LOHP aims to increase participation in the KOHA reporting through assistance and awareness.
Overview
Importance: Tooth decay is the most common preventable chronic childhood disease. However, by third grade in California, more than 60% of students have experienced tooth decay. Children with poor dental health are nearly three times more likely to be absent from school. According to the California Department of Education, dental problems contribute to 874,000 missed school days yearly, costing schools over $29 million annually in average daily attendance funding. If left untreated, tooth decay adversely affects children’s academic performance, social-emotional development, sleep, and nutrition, leading to poor general health outcomes.
California State Requirements:The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) requirement was passed into law under the Education Code Section 49452.8 in 2005 by Assembly Bill 1433 (AB 1433). It requires all public-school kindergartners and only those first graders enrolling in public school for their first year to have an oral health screening completed by a licensed dental professional. AB 2630, which passed in September 2024, took effect on January 1, 2025. This new legislation clarifies that the existing Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) requirement (EC 49452.8) will now apply to children enrolled in Transitional Kindergarten (TK). As a result, students enrolled in TK or K will be required to complete the KOHA form, ensuring earlier oral health screening and intervention.
The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and help connect children to a regular source of dental care. An oral health assessment is a quick, basic screening to identify the overall health of the mouth. It is not a full oral health evaluation, or a substitute for regular, comprehensive appointments with a dentist every 6 months.
The registration packet for each public-school kindergarten student contains the KOHA packet (see below). The KOHA packet consists of:
- KOHA Notification Letter: describes what the requirement is, what parents need to do, and includes information about how to access dental care in the county, as well as basic oral health information
Access the Parent Notification Letter in other languages below: English ♦ Spanish ♦ Chinese (Simplified) ♦ Chinese (Traditional) ♦ Korean ♦ Tagalog ♦ Vietnamese
- KOHA Form: the actual screening/assessment form parents need to take to their child’s dental appointment and have the dental provider complete. If the child’s school is hosting a KOHA screening day, the dental providers at the school will complete the required form there.
Access the KOHA Assessment Form in other languages below: English ♦ Spanish ♦ Chinese (Simplified) ♦ Chinese (Traditional) ♦ Korean ♦ Tagalog ♦ Vietnamese
- Waiver of the KOHA Requirement: dental providers complete the KOHA assessment during the child’s regular dental appointment. However, if children do not yet have a dentist or dental insurance, cannot easily get to a dentist during their Kindergarten year, or do not attend a school hosting an on-site KOHA screening event, a waiver form may be completed.
Access the Waiver Form in other languages below: English ♦ Spanish ♦ Chinese (Simplified) ♦ Chinese (Traditional) ♦ Korean ♦ Tagalog ♦ Vietnamese
The final due date for parents/caregivers to turn in a completed KOHA or Waiver form is May 31st (or by the end of the school year for those schools that get out before May 31st).
School staff responsibilities around KOHA data collection and entry
The database developed for this purpose is called the “System for California Oral Health Reporting,” or “SCOHR.” See step by step instructions on how to use SCOHR below.
As the forms come in throughout the year, set up a system to track the returned forms and to total the aggregate data required in SCOHR for each school. You can use the school-Level KOHA Worksheet and the SCOHR Data Input Form below or set up your own system to track and total the data.
Schools are required to upload KOHA data onto SCOHR by the end of the school year, or by July 1st at the latest,the KOHA legislation requires specific KOHA data to be totaled and entered a database annually by school staff.
SJC School-Level KOHA Data Input Worksheet- xlsx. This Excel Data Input Worksheet allows data for each child eligible for KOHA to easily be entered using the drop-down options in each column. The data then auto-populates into the exact format required in the SCOHR database, which can then be copied and entered the SCOHR Data Input Form. The last tab on the worksheet auto-summarizes key KOHA data into tables and graphs for the school.
SJC SCOHR (KOHA database) step by step guide-pdf. This file contains a step-by-step guide on how to become a SCHOR user and how to upload data.
Please contact the Local Oral Health Program at: SJTEETH@sjcphs.org with any questions about KOHA.
