Supervisors to Hear Options on School Health Services

The county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday directing health department officials to report back next month with ways to identify and possibly expand dental, vision and hearing services at public and private schools.

The board’s action came a week after a U.S. surgeon general’s report showed that children in California have more than twice as much tooth decay as children nationwide.

The report also noted that 70% of the state’s population doesn’t have fluoridated tap water. Poor oral hygiene can cause gum disease and major infections, the nation’s top health inspector warned.

“Dental-related illnesses are the single most common childhood disease and are responsible for children losing over 50 million hours of schooling each year,” said Supervisor Mike Antonovich. Karen Maiorca, director of nursing for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the number of children with dental problems is tremendous. Unlike hearing and vision screenings that are mandated every three years by the state, dental checkups aren’t required, she said.