In 2005, the California Dental Association sponsored landmark legislation requiring oral health assessments for children entering public school for the first time (at kindergarten or first grade). The ultimate goal of this program is to establish a dental home for each child. The program identifies children who need further examination and dental treatment, and identifies barriers to receiving care. Safety net dental clinics serve a large portion of the pediatric oral health needs in California and play an important role in the success of this program.

CDA, in partnership with ADA, created the AB 1433 media campaign to raise awareness of the requirement and assist parents in finding dental care for their children. Samples of the campaign materials are available here.

You play a critical role in ensuring the success of this program! The assessment, or evaluation, can be met in many ways. It can be a complete examination and treatment plan performed by a dentist, or it can be a more basic oral health evaluation, such as a screening, which can be performed by a dentist, hygienist or an extended function registered dental assistant with supervision.

AB 1433 funding is included in categorical program funding schools receive through the Local Control Funding Formula. Schools are urged to include AB1433 activities when developing their Local Control and Accountability Plans. In particular, these funds can be used to notify parents and legal guardians of the oral health assessment requirements and support data reporting.

AB 1433 requires your child receive an assessment of his or her oral health as part of school readiness activities for kindergarten entry (or first grade if this is your child’s first year in public school). An oral health assessment conducted the year prior to kindergarten, or by May of your child’s kindergarten year satisfies this requirement. Check with your child’s school for details, as each school notifies parents and distributes the required form, which includes information about the law, consistent with school district polices.