In our clinic

Every treatment at Sonrisas includes education.

As part of each visit to the clinic, the staff at Sonrisas assesses our patients' oral hygiene compliance. Disclosure tablets are used to determine how well patients are following their home care plans. Parents are invited into the examination room to see for themselves how their child is doing and to review home care instructions. Since dental cavities are a fully preventable childhood disease, motivating parents to help their children maintain their healthy smiles is part of every visit.

 

In the community

Our outreach efforts target hundreds of at-risk children each year.

Volunteer dental professionals visit Coastside elementary schools, including those in Cabrillo Unified School District and La Honda Pescadero Unified School District, to screen children for oral health once a year. For many of the younger children, it’s the first time they’ve ever been examined by a dentist. The children receive oral hygiene supplies and a report card to bring home to their parents. When we find emergency cases, we provide care as soon as possible. We also screen and educate all 3 to 4 year old Head Start children in the Coastside area, and all children in the State Migrant Education program.

Our oral health education efforts also include:

• Screening at the Women, Infant, and Child Social Services Office (WIC)
• 4 to 5 health fairs a year at schools, senior centers and community events
• Evening oral health education for families at the clinic to teach healthy habits for home
• Evening education for pre-natal women focusing on dental issues during pregnancy
• Pre-K summer programs for children about to enter school
• Annual bi-lingual parent meetings at local schools attended by “promotoras” (health educators) to promote oral health.

Community education must be a component of any healthcare organization’s strategy for combating dental disease. We consider it a core part of the Sonrisas mission.

 

For facts about personal dental care, visit these sites:

• Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
  www.simplestepsdental.com
• The American Dental Association
  www.ada.org/public/topics/alpha.asp
• For fun children's activities that promote oral health visit:
  www.colgate.com/app/BrightSmilesBrightFutures/US/EN/HomePage.cvsp

• Teachers’ and parents’ resource for oral health:
  www.first5oralhealth.org/

IMPORTANT: Kindergarten Oral Health Requirement

A new California State law has passed which requires all kindergartners to have mandatory dental screenings. 

• For more information, visit the CDA’s web page:

http://www.cda.org/advocacy_&_the_law/legislation/kindergarten_oral_health_requirement