Kindergarten Oral Health Screenings

Michigan’s Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) Program 

• Public Act 316 of 2023 requires that all children entering kindergarten beginning in the 2024-2025 school year are required to have an oral health assessment done prior to starting school. The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment is similar to the current Hearing and Vision screening program.
• Michigan created the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Program (KOHA) to improve school readiness and raise awareness of the importance of good oral health.  Dental problems can be painful and make it difficult for children to pay attention in school and can cause problems with eating, sleeping, speaking, and even their behavior.  This will allow children to start school with a healthy mouth, ready to learn. Your child will benefit from having a dental assessment (screening) before starting kindergarten to check for any dental problems that need to be fixed so that they are ready for school. Similar to hearing and vision screenings, the oral health assessment takes no longer than 5 minutes to look for signs of tooth decay or infection by a licensed dental professional at no cost to you.
• Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children. Kids with poor dental health are three times more likely to miss school which can affect grades and overall performance in school.

How is Sanilac County providing this service?

Sanilac County Health Department will be working in collaboration with My Community Dental Center to provide this service to Sanilac County.

About Kindergarten Dental Assessments

• It’s easy to get your child screened.  MCDC will provide free kindergarten dental assessments to children getting ready to enter kindergarten at places like preschools, Head Start programs, school enrollment events, and community screening events before the start of kindergarten.
• You can have your dentist do the screening -- just take the KOHA Assessment Form to your dentist to have them fill out and then return a copy to the school.  
• There is no cost for the dental assessment.  There is no cost to you if MCDC does the assessment.
• A dental assessment is simple and fast.  A dental professional will look into your child’s mouth and note what they see on the KOHA Assessment Form.  No treatment is done -- it’s simply a quick look in the mouth. They will let you know if your child needs to see a dentist. 
• Help is available.  Your local health department can help you find a dentist if you don’t have one. Your child may be eligible for the Michigan Healthy Kids Dental program if they don’t have dental insurance. 
• If you have already visited your dental provider, give your child's completed dental assessment to the school before the start of the school year. 

CONTACT INFORMATION
Carly Szyska
801-984-0749
cszyska@mydental.org


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