Program Description The San Mateo County Health Services Agency contracts with the California Department of Health to manage the Brighter Bites Children's Dental Health Program. Who is Served Brighter Bites serves children from preschool through 6th grade. Priority goes to schools with low-income children in the greatest need of dental services. Program Mission To assure, promote, and protect the oral health of California's school children by increasing their oral health awareness, knowledge and self-responsibility by developing positive, life-long oral health behaviors Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal If your child is on Medi-Cal he or she is eligible for dental care through Denti-Cal. Beginning at age 3 children should have a dental exam every year. Denti-Cal will cover the cost of the exams as long your child is on Medi-Cal. For Denti-Cal information call: 800 322-6384 Program Components The Brighter Bites program has four program components: 1) weekly fluoride mouthrinse or daily fluoride supplement 2) plaque control 3) classroom oral health education 4) an active oral health advisory committee. Optional components include dental screenings and dental sealants. Better Bites works to increase access to dental care and to educate and prevent early childhood caries, oral injuries, and dental disease. When Should Children Have Their First Dental Exam? Children should see the dentist by age three, and each year thereafter for the rest of their lives. A Little Prevention Can Keep You Smiling Benefits of Fluoridation Is your drinking water fluoridated? Fluoride helps prevent decay on the smooth surfaces of the teeth. It works together with dental sealants to protect your teeth. Not all of the water in San Mateo County is fluoridated. To find out if your community water supply is fluoridated, call your water supplier or ask your dentist. The phone number for your water supplier will be on your water bill. The supplier should be able to tell you how many parts per million (ppm) are in your water. Ask for a copy of the water quality report. You should discuss this with your dentist to see if your child needs to have supplemental fluoride. Fluoride has an added benefit of helping women and men prevent tooth root decay and osteoporosis. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels of fluoride. If bottled water is your family's primary source of water, your family could be missing the preventive effects of fluoridated water. You should discuss your family's fluoride needs with your dentist. Benefits of Dental Sealants Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings painted on the top surface of the 6 and 12 year old molars (back teeth). They are safe, painless and take only a few minutes to apply. Because dental sealants can prevent more than 80% of dental decay in children, they reduce the need for fillings and other more expensive treatment. All children with permanent molars should have dental sealants. Unfortunately, only 10% of 8 year olds and 13% of 14 year olds in California have had their teeth sealed. Medi-Cal (Denti-Cal) Services, the Healthy Families Program and most private insurance will cover the cost of dental sealants. Protective Gear for the Mouth and Face Children should wear mouthguards for contact sports, such as soccer and football. Helmets should be worn for some sports to protect the head and mouth. E.g., a bicycyle helmet should be worn for riding a bicycle and an all-sports helmet for skateboarding or roller hockey. Internet Sites American Dental Association (ADA) The ADA has a wealth of dental information. See the consumer section for fluoridation and sealant information. Tooth Fairy's Home Page An adorable site for kids and adults. Information on dental hygiene, cavities, flossing and frequently asked questions answered by the tooth fairy.