HAYWARD, California--Assembly Speaker-Elect Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) will tour the dental clinic at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc. May 8 to explore ways to expand dental health services for children and to raise awareness of the challenges relating to quality dental healthcare access.
"Oral health is a core part of our overall health," Assemblymember Hayashi said. "With California's budget crisis threatening children's access to critical dental health services, it is imperative that we come together to bring attention to and confront these challenges that we face as a community and as a state."
Tooth decay is the number one chronic health disease among children and the leading cause of school absence in California. With dental problems, children's abilities to eat nutritiously, get adequate sleep, and remain attentive in class are greatly compromised.
Fortunately, dental problems are almost always preventable through regular checkups. School-based and dental clinic treatment programs help every student, including low-income children, receive a checkup by the first grade.
Organizations such as the California Dental Association avidly promote the practice of consistent examinations and good dental hygiene to ensure the oral health of California's children.
Assemblymember Hayashi serves the 18th Assembly District, which includes San Leandro, Hayward, Dublin, most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton, and a portion of Oakland, as well as the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, Sunol and San Lorenzo.
For more information, go to California Dental Association.
To read about this early dental visits for children, go to dental visits.
To comment on this subject, go to PennWell Dental Community site.
