KinderSmile Oral Health Program (KSOHP) is the flagship program of our nonprofit foundation. With values of education, intervention, and prevention as methods to combat oral health care inequity, KSOHP increases access to oral health care for underserved children, regardless of insurance status, by bringing dental care to schools or community centers at no cost to caretakers or the school system. With parental consent, offsite visits in schools include oral health education, nutritional counseling, dental exams, caries risk assessment, prophylaxis (dental cleaning), topical fluoride treatments, and sealants where appropriate. KSOHP crucially links children to a permanent barrier-free Dental Home at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers of Bloomfield, Newark, or Trenton, where they can be scheduled for follow-up care when needed.
The oral health education component of KSOHP is developed by KinderSmile Foundation in conjunction with the existing curricula used by the participating programs to be age-appropriate, engaging, and long-lasting in developmental impact. Education provided to children, parents and caregivers addresses the importance of early intervention and prevention, the practice of oral hygiene routines in school and at home, the importance of periodic dental checkups, the benefits of using fluoride toothpaste, fluoride rinse, topical application of fluoride by dental professionals, and use of systemic fluoride when indicated. Emphasis is also placed on healthy eating and feeding habits to reduce the incidence of dental caries in our service areas, which have no community water fluoridation.
For more information about having KSOHP at your school, please contact t.barrygodin@kindersmile.org
Over the years, we have expanded the program to include various extensions that help bring optimal oral health to more underserved communities across the state, including the following:
