What is KSOHP?
KinderSmile Oral Health Program (KSOHP) is the flagship and premier program of our nonprofit foundation. With values of education, intervention, and early prevention as methods to combat oral health care inequity, KSOHP increases access to oral health care for underserved children, regardless of insurance status or lack thereof, by bringing dental care to schools or community centers at no cost to caretakers.
With parental consent, offsite visits in schools include oral health education and nutritional counseling related to dental disease. Children also receive comprehensive dental exams, Caries Risk Assessments, prophylaxis (dental cleanings), fluoride varnish applications, sealants, and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) for caries arrest (to stop existing cavities from expanding) and prevention (to protect healthy teeth).
A unique and crucial component of KSOHP is the prompt and permanent link to a barrier-free Dental Home at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers Bloomfield, Newark, or Trenton, where children are scheduled for follow-up visits to ensure continuity of care.
The oral health education component is an essential part of KSOHP and is developed by KinderSmile Foundation in conjunction with the existing curricula used by 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 and fluoride rinse, the topical application of fluoride by dental professionals, and the 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 priya.vaid@kindersmile.org
